macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-01-20
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I lend my full support for H.R. 4462. introduced by my colleague Chairman CHARLES RANGEL. which allows for the acceleration of tax benefits for charitable cash contributions to benefit the victims of the earthquake in the Republic of Haiti on January 12. 2010. This tax benefit will allow persons who make cash donations to the relief efforts in Haiti from January 11. 2010 to March 1. 2010 the opportunity to claim those donations as charitable contributions on their 2009 Federal Income Tax Return. The 7.0 earthquake that ravaged the Haitian capital of PortauPrince. the city of Jacmel and the city of Carrefour brought immediate devastation to the country. taking the lives of approximately 200.000 people and leaving tens of thousands missing. This event. which has left an estimated 1.5 million homeless. has completely destroyed most of the infrastructure in the capital. and was deemed the largest earthquake of this magnitude in over two centuries in the Republic of Haiti. Providing a tax benefit on charitable contributions would offer an incentive for American citizens to give during an essential period for the relief effort in Haiti. Several charities saw a significant drop in contributions. which fund the entirety of their operations. due to the economic crisis. Nonprofit organizations will need considerable resources to provide the longterm services for a population devastated by a natural disaster. This tax benefit will ensure those resources are funded by an outpouring of generosity from the American people. In the face of this grave tragedy. the American people have given from their hearts. as well as their pockets. to assist the people of Haiti during this time of extreme hardship and turmoil. This philanthropy should not go unnoticed. especially as many people have chosen to donate at a time when their own financial wellbeing is uncertain. I would like to thank Chairman RANGEL for introducing this piece of legislation. and the American people for their benevolence in this time of adversity for the Haitian people.
Date: 2010-01-20
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I would like to express my strong support of H.R. 2611. a bipartisan measure authorizing the Department of Homeland Securitys Securing the Cities initiative. I would like to recognize my colleague. Chairman BENNIE THOMPSON. for his leadership on the House Homeland Security Committee and his commitment to protecting the citizens and homeland of our great nation. I would also like to acknowledge and thank Ranking Member PETER KING for introducing this important legislation which includes an amendment I offered that would expand the scope of the Securing the Cities program to include at least two additional highrisk urban areas. making it a national program. Launched in 2006. Securing the Cities is a unified effort among Federal. state and local law enforcement officials in New York. New Jersey. and Connecticut to defend against the threat of a radiological or nuclear attack. Presently. Securing the Cities operates only in New York City and its surrounding areas. While it appears that New York City remains the prime target for terrorist activity. it is important to ensure that other densely populated areas and those housing critical infrastructure are equally protected from dirty bombs. My amendment would benefit even more highrisk urban areas by providing the necessary resources to detect and intercept illicit radiological material before it is used in a weapon by wouldbe terrorists. Through a ring of detectors on highways. bridges. tunnels and on mobile units around the city. Securing the Cities provides a layered defense against the smuggling of a nuclear weapon. The idea behind Securing the Cities is that the more law enforcement officials are on the lookout for nuclear material outside New York City. the better chance law enforcement has to prevent a successful nuclear attack. Like New York City. Houston is among the highest threat cities in the nation. Our region is extremely dense with critical infrastructure assets. which includes our large energy and petrochemical sectors. By replicating the success of Securing the Cities in more places like Houston. we can bolster law enforcement capabilities to combat potential terrorist activity and protect our communities. I strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2611.
Date: 2010-01-20
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the chairwoman very much. and I thank her for her leadership on this issue. joined with the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Date: 2010-01-21
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to honor NguoiViet Daily News for its 31 years of media service in Orange County. California. NguoiViet Daily News was the first and the largest daily newspaper published in Vietnamese in the United States. and it was founded by Mr. Do Ngoc Yen in 1978. While its first 4page issue. dated back on December 15. 1978. was printed in Mr. Dos garage. today he has more than 60 employees and a daily circulation of 18.000. and NguoiViet online edition is among the most widely read services with 1.5 million hits a month. NguoiViet News has provided the Vietnamese community with appealing editorials and local and international news stories that highlight community service and activism while bringing the community together. I applaud NguoiViet News for those important achievements for 31 years. and I look forward to its contribution in the next 31 years.
Date: 2010-01-21
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am reminded of some of the tougher times in this Nation. Maybe it was the Vietnam War. when Members had to vote their consciences. I was not in Congress at that time. It might have been even further back when LBJ. Lyndon Baines Johnson. had to lead on making a body of people in this Nation equal with the 1964 Civil Rights Act and with the 1965 Voting Rights Act. I imagine it was difficult. and I imagine there were people who said. This is the wrong way to go. Weve often said on this floor. Dont watch polling in politics. Watch your heart and what is right for America. I believe the issues dealing with job creation and good health care for America are good. and the latest polls and elections dont daunt our spirits. We are working with those on the other side of the aisle. We are working with the American people. We do want transparency. but I. for one. am not going to step away from helping people get the best health care they can. We dont know the timing of it. Maybe tomorrow. Yet the idea to feel crushed or crumbled because of some actions that deal in politics is not the way to exercise your conscience and to do what is right for America. Thats what we will do in this country and in this Congress. and I will stand on that side.
Date: 2010-01-25
Speaker: ARLEN SPECTERS (democrat)
Chamber: S

advocacy and passionpartly from his own personal experience when he has had to overcome some of his own personal health challengeshas given him a real understanding of what the National Institutes of Health is all about and what it means. His advocacy and work there has made a huge difference in the lives of literally millions of people across this country based on the research that is done there that ultimately can save a life or can enhance a life. That is a legacy that any one of us in the United States would want to give. Secondly. the other thing I respect about Senator SPECTER is that when he has had to cross the aisle in order to make sure he has stood on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania and in the Nations best interests. he has done that. Nowadays. that is a lot more difficult to find. Senator SPECTER has a history of crossing the aisle when it is necessary on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania to stand by their side. That did not impede him from moving to whomever he could with whomever he could in this body and with administrations. both present and past. in order to achieve those goals. I salute him in that respect. I appreciate Senator SPECTER letting me have a few minutes on an incredibly important issue.
Date: 2010-01-26
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I want to thank my colleague from California . Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1029 and support the goals of National School Counseling Week. I want to thank Chairman GEORGE MILLER and Ranking Member JOHN KLINE. as well as Representative VERN EHLERS. for their support of this resolution. I introduced this resolution to recognize the tireless efforts of a group of professionals who have dedicated themselves to children and to their education: school counselors. I wish to take this opportunity to recognize a few of the diligent and hardworking school counselors from Californias 39th District. Angela Castellanos of Santa Fe High School in Whittier. California. and Alex Paredes of Southeast High School in South Gate. California. are just two examples of counselors who do exceptional work every single day to help our students reach their highest potential. It is because of their unending dedication and the dedication of counselors like Angela and Alex that children across our country succeed in becoming engineers. doctors and. yes. even Members of Congress. School counselors play a vital role in the development of our students. not just on academic. but on social and personal levels as well. Unfortunately. there simply arent enough of them. Counselors often find themselves the casualty of budget cuts. In California. for example. the studenttocounselor ratio is a dismal 945 students to one counselor. Thats 945 students to one counselor. almost four times the recommended ratio. Our secondary school counselors work vigorously to increase graduation rates. identify problems in our schools. and improve morale by inspiring students to challenge themselves and explore new opportunities. Primary counselors often help identify students with health problems or disabilities that interfere with learning. They also help youngsters to cope with traumatic events. from moving to a new school to the death of a parent. Our counselors do amazing and often unrecognized work. Our communities are strengthened by the students who are championed by their school counselors. I urge my colleagues to support this effort to recognize the outstanding work that counselors do to ensure that our childrens future is full of promise. I thank again my colleague.
Date: 2010-01-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1011. to recognize the importance of cervical health and of detecting cervical cancer during its earliest stages and supporting the goals and ideals of Cervical Health Awareness Month. introduced by my distinguish colleague Representative DEBORAH L. HALVORSON. from Illinois. This legislation will solidify that we. the United States Congress: (1) support all the initiatives of Cervical Health Awareness Month. (2) Recognize the importance of earlier detection. and (3) advocate and encourage education on the subject. Madam Speaker. the origin of Cervical Health Awareness Month was established to enhance awareness of the prevention of cervical cancer. particularly the importance of screening for this malignancy. It is my hope that Congress continues to support these current and future efforts to make our constituents more knowledgeable. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. in 2009. an estimated 11.270 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in the U.S.. and the disease caused over 4.000 deaths. The Pap test is a highly effective tool in detecting cervical cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages. In fact. regular cervical screening tests can actually find precancerous changes before they become dangerous and turn into cancer. I support any enterprise which cultivates organized successful health promotion events and campaigns. Getting new ideas. information and resources on Cervical Cancer and the prevention of it. is something that this Congress must emphasize. By passing this resolution. we are making a monumental statement that we care. We care about the patients and survivors of this cancer. we care about the families of the ones who were taken by this disease. and most of all we care about the life and life more abundantly. By passing this legislation. we are also reaffirming that Congress is not an ambiguous body of unsympathetic individuals with no grasp of the world outside these walls. We have families. we have mothers. daughters and sisters. that can be affected by this cancer and we will not stand for lives perishing because of a lack of knowledge and available prevention and treatment!
Date: 2010-01-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. today I rise in support of House Resolution 1024 "Expressing support for designation of January as poverty in America awareness month." This resolution seeks to designate the month of January as an official "Poverty in America Awareness Month." and also expresses the sentiments of the House of Representatives that eradicating poverty in the United States should be the goal of all American citizensespecially those in government positions. Over the last several decades the numbers of people living in poverty in the United States has steadily increased to a high point in 2008 of over 39 million Americans living below the Federal poverty line. This is a particularly important issue for the people living in my home district in Houston. Texas where the number of residents with income below the poverty level in 2007 was 20.7 percent. which is several percentage points higher than the Texas State average of 16.3 percent. These problems have been further exacerbated by the recent economic downturn which has pushed many American families to a financial breaking point. Over the past 10 years much of the progress that was made during the 1990s was reversed as the overall poverty rate increased by 1.9 percent. As the Chairwoman of the Congressional Childrens Caucus I also understand the severe impact that poverty can have on children in the United States. In fact. 14 million of the 39 million Americans currently living below the poverty line are children. For children. growing up in poverty can have numerous negative effects on development ranging from malnutrition to poor education. As Americans we can not allow underprivileged children in our Nation to be overlooked and ignored. We must ensure that all children of all income levels in this country are provided with quality education. proper nutrition and access to support services. Furthermore. we can not allow hardworking American citizens to continue to fall below the Federal poverty line. That is why it is important that we support this resolution as it would bring further attention to this important matter and provide an opportunity to reverse the growing trend of poverty in the United States. Officially establishing the month of January as "Poverty in America Awareness Month." would seek to improve the lives of our citizens as well as increase advocacy for some of the most vulnerable families in our Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I also ask my colleagues for their continued support for the 39 million Americans currently living in poverty.
Date: 2010-01-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. there has been a great deal of controversy that has arisen over what I think is not only good policy but good for America. and that is real health care reform. Today I listened to the story of a mother who lost her son. whose name was Mike. Because he could not get a colonoscopy to determine whether or not he had colon cancer. he is not living today. He could not get it because he did not have insurance. We need health care reform that allows Americans to have the dignity of health care and. as well. the respect of treatment. I met a man today who is blind because he could not get the treatment while he was going blind to reverse that terrible disability. It could have occurred with good health care. and we must stop allowing 45.000 Americans to die every year because they do not have good health care. We can do it by putting the bill together. House and Senate. reconciliation. protecting physicianowned hospitals. preventing individuals from being denied insurance because of preexisting disease. insuring 36 million to 40 million. I ask my colleagues to join for what is best for America.
Date: 2010-02-02
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of S. 2950. "To extend the pilot program for volunteer groups to obtain criminal history background checks and for other purposes. introduced by my distinguished colleague from New York. Senator SCHUMER. "The Criminal History Background Checks Pilot Extension Act of 2009." will be revising the 78month requirement to a 92month requirement. This act is particularly important to protect our children as they participate in so many activities throughout the community.
Date: 2010-02-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of House Resolution 1050 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 2010-02-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the matter just considered.
Date: 2010-02-02
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. each Nation is sovereign. but across the airwaves of American television today we saw flashed three Americans who have been held by the leadership in Iran. three innocent Americans who crossed. by mistake. on a hike into the sovereign area of Iran. I make a plea today for the President of Iran to release those individuals. Today he sent a missive. a message to say that he would release them if we release Iranians who are held in American jails. I believe that the right thing to do is to assess the innocence of these Americans. and to be able to engage in diplomacy on setting them free. If there is any cause for any innocent person who happens to be of Iranian descent that is here in the United States jails. I know that our leadership and criminal justice system will engage. But to hold hostage our innocent Americans who. by accident. during a hike. conspicuously crossed over and admitted it was a mistake is a shame on the international front and does not do justice to human rights around the world.
Date: 2010-02-03
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

It is an honor to be here today with our distinguished guest chaplain. Rev. Bertrain Bailey. who is Pastor of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas. Texas. Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSONS constituent. Rev. Bailey is well known for his strong faith and the work he is doing in the Dallas. Texas. community. He has impacted the lives of thousands of congregation members. and I am pleased that he could be with us today in the House of Representatives to share his prayers and wisdom. For over 130 years. the Missionary Baptist Church has been known for its tradition of serving the church family and community. During his time at St. Johns. Rev. Bailey has proven an energetic and dynamic leader. His spirit and initiative have endeared him to current members and attracted new members. I am pleased to be able to share his faith and inspiration with my colleagues. I thank Rev. Bailey for his presence and his blessing.
Date: 2010-02-03
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to provide for the joint appointment of the Architect of the Capitol by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. the President pro tempore of the Senate. the majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate. and the chairs and ranking minority members of the committees of Congress with jurisdiction over the Office of the Architect of the Capitol. and for other purposes. as amended.
Date: 2010-02-03
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the RECORD on H.R. 2843.
Date: 2010-02-03
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. today I rise in support of H.R. 2843. the Architect of the Capitol Appointment Act. I thank the original cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation. including Ranking Member Representative ROBERT ADERHOLT of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. Ranking Member ZACH WAMP. who I want to thank especially for initially cosponsoring this legislation with me when he was the ranking member of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee. Representative TOM LATHAM. who is also a former ranking member of the Legislative Branch Appropriations SubcommitteeMr. Speaker. maybe its me. since I keep losing ranking members on the other side of the aisle. And it has been a pleasure to work with all of these gentlemenRepresentative ROBERT BRADY. chairman of the Committee on House Administration. and his ranking member. Representative DAN LUNGREN. and of course former House Administration Ranking Member VERNON EHLERS. This legislation effectively removes the appointment role of the Architect of the Capitol from the executive branch. placing it in the rightful hands of the legislative branch where it belongs. Specifically. this bill provides for the joint appointment of the Architect of the Capitol by House and Senate leadership. both majority and minority. and the chairs and ranking members of each of the House and Senate committees of jurisdictionincluding the Committees on Appropriations. House Administration. Senate Rules. and Transportation and Infrastructure. This is a long overdue change. The Architect of the Capitol serves a legislative branch function and as such. he or she should be chosen by the legislative branch. By making this change. we can simplify a process that has caused unnecessary delays in choosing a permanent Architect. Because of the delays in this process. we have had an Acting Architect in place since February of 2007. It is now February of 2010. And Mr. Hantman. the immediate past Architect. was appointed following a 2year vacancy. The Capitol campus is currently facing over $1 billion in deferred maintenance. Weve been working diligently over the last several years to address that backlog. and the Architect has been very helpful in coordinating and addressing that backlog. but we need to make sure that we establish some permanence and some consistency. Its critically important that a permanent Architect is selected so that he or she can face these issues with an eye to the future. Its our hope that this bipartisan legislation becomes law so that Congress can play a direct role in selecting the right candidates for a legislative branch position of significant importance like this one. I ask for all Members support in passing this vital legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.