macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1998-09-28
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 4081 extends the construction period for a hydroelectric project in the State of Arkansas. Under section 13 of the Federal Power Act. project construction must begin within 4 years of issuance of the license. If construction has not begun by that time. FERC cannot extend the deadline and must terminate the license. H.R. 4081 provides up to 6 additional years to commence construction if the sponsor pursues the commencement of construction in good faith and with due diligence. These types of bills have not been controversial in the past. The bill does not change the license requirements in any way and does not change environmental standards. but merely extends the construction deadline. There is a need to act on this. since the construction deadline for the River Mountain Pumped Storage Project expires next month. If Congress does not act. FERC will terminate the license. the project sponsgr will lose $8 million they have invested in the project. and the local community will lose the prospect of significant job creation and added revenues. According to the project sponsor. construction of the River Mountain project will create 585 jobs and generate $1 billion for the local economy. If we do not act. the local community will lose these jobs and these revenues. These extension bills have not proved controversial in the past. H.R. 4081 was approved by the Committee on Commerce by unanimous voice vote. I would ask its full support. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 1998-09-28
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 4081.
Date: 1998-10-01
Speaker: HARLEY DUNCAN (republican)
Chamber: S

Federation of Tax Administrators. Washington. DC. DEAR HARLEY: The Revenue Cabinet has gathered some information on the Fort Campbell issues of whether employees who live in Tennessee and work on the Kentucky side of the Fort Campbell installation receive any benefits from the state of Kentucky. The question of what services Kentucky provides is quite broad. I will attempt to itemize below what we have investigated and the results. RoadsFort Campbell is accessible from both the Kentucky side and the Tennessee side. Most workers enter the base at the gate nearest their work station. This means. for example. that most hospital workers enter on the Tennessee side (the hospital is in Tennessee). and most school workers enter on the Kentucky side using Kentucky maintained roads (the school is in Kentucky). Water and Sewer Service--Self contained on the base. Electric ServiceMost is supplied directly to the base by the Tennessee Valley Authority. One housing area. however. is supplied by the Pennyrile Electric Cooperative. a Kentucky based electric company. Cooperative Fire ProtectionLocal communities in both Kentucky and Tennessee have agreements with Fort Campbell to assist in the event of a major fire or other emergency. Schools--The school system on the Fort Campbell base is fully selfcontained and federally funded. It is limited to the children of active duty military personnel stationed at the military base. Police ProtectionAll police protection is selfcontained. Responsibility for Fort Campbell and all federal military bases rests with the federal/military police. Unemployment BenefitsFederal civilian workers who become unemployed can apply for benefits from the state where they work or the state where they live. If a Tennessee resident working in Kentucky becomes unemployed and applies in Tennessee. a transfer is made from the Kentucky fund to the Tennessee fund to pay that workers unemployment claim. The result is that wherever the claim is filed. Kentucky funds pay the claim. I hope this information is helpful to you in your efforts concerning H.R. 1953. It is our belief that the civilian employees who work on the Kentucky side of Fort Campbell deftnitely receive some benefits from the state of Kentucky. The Kentucky Revenue Cabinet greatly appreciates the work FTA is doing on H.R. 1953. Harley. we cant thank you and your staff enough. If I can be of further assistance. please let me know. Sincerely.
Date: 1998-10-01
Speaker: LINDA SMITH (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Washington

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to give a reality check. The President claims the government has a surplus. All Americans need to know that this just is not true. There is no surplus. The President was going to borrow $100 billion from Social Security to pay for his proposed current level of spending. but our good economy means now he will only borrow $35 billion. Now. the $65 billion difference .that the Republicans said must be left in the Social Security Trust Fund is what the President now claims is a surplus. It is not a surplus. It is payroll taxes that the government collects to pay for Social Security checks each month. We need to save Social Security. not spend it. That is why I voted against the tax plan. not an easy vote. because it borrows still from Social Security. Believe me. I do support tax cuts. but we need to do it without compromising Social Security. Now. we may have a true surplus by next year. Then we can make sure that Social Security will be there when people need it. Then we can have tax cuts. too. That is my goal. Mr. Speaker.
Date: 1998-10-06
Speaker: LINDA SMITH (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Washington

Mr. Speaker. I want to stand today and talk about something good. In the midst of all the scandals that are going on. there are good things happening. Around the Nation people need to know about that. as we need to remind ourselves in this body. The good thing is we are returning power to the American people. We just passed a bill that returned money to the classrooms. Instead of billions of dollars in bureaucracies. it just says it is time to go back and give the money to the teachers and the families. Today we are going to pass a bill that returns billions of dollars to the communities to start housing for those that need housing. to have housing for the elderly and those beginning young families that are trying to build their own homes. Yes. there are good .things happening here in Washington. D.C.. and it is not all scandal. We need to call the Senate and ask them individually to pass Dollars to the Classroom. Get the dollars out of the bureaucracy and back in the classroom. Get the dollars out of the bureaucracy and back into housing for our citizens. Good things are happening. CUBA
Date: 1998-10-07
Speaker: LINDA SMITH (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Washington

Mr. Speaker. I rise today with more good news. Yes. it is true. Above the clamor of scandals and the Presidents threat to shut the government down. this Congress is doing good things. We are taking steps to shrink the power of the Federal Government into the lives and pocketbooks of American families. We just passed the Dollars to the Classroom Act. This bill can reduce classrooms size all over the Nation if the Senate will just pass it. and the President will not veto it. You see. because President Clinton himself said. and I agree with him. I think we have cleardirection and he should not veto this one. he said. "We cannot ask the American people to spend more on education until we do a better job with the money we have got now."
Date: 1998-10-07
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. the Republicans want to move in one direction and the Democrats in another. This year. like every year. on almost every single spending bill. the division is quite clear. Republicans want to cut back on the size of government. Democrats want to expand it. We have different visions. different ideas about what government should do. what it can do. and how much of the government spending is an outrageous waste of taxpayers money. But our differences are no excuse for a government shutdown. and I am very depressed to hear the persistent rumors that many in the White House are urging the President to provoke a confrontation. shut down the government. and divert attention away from the crisis in the White House. They want to shut down the government and then try to blame it on Republicans. This is an interesting way. indeed. to combat public cynicism toward government. I urge the President to reject the advice of his more liberal advisors and continue to work with the Republicans toward an honorable compromise on the remaining spending bills.. Do not shut down the government. Mr. President.
Date: 1998-10-07
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2921. This is a situation where a lot of talk has been made about cable television rate increases. Last year. the Federal Communications Commission. the FCC. in a report to Congress found that noncable television programmers. i.e.. wireless cable and DBS. continue to experience substantial rates of growth. However. the FCC report found that noncable television- programmers. particularly Direct Broadcast Satellite operators. face several obstacles as they compete for television viewers. One of the most substantial obstacles is the Copyright Officemandated increase in the copyright royalty fees that multichannel video programming operators pay to retransmit broadcast network and superstation signals to their consumers. In September of 1997. the Copyright Arbitration Rate Panel increased satellite broadcasters rates. as has already been said. from 6 cents per subscriber per month for broadcast network signals and 14 cents per subscriber per month for superstation signals. to 27 cents per subscriber per month for retransmission of both signals. Meanwhile. the statutory prescribed rate for cable transmission remains at 2.7 cents per subscriber per month for network signals and 9.7 cents per subscriber per month for superstation signals. Mr. Speaker. I cosponsored this particular piece of legislation and am a strong supporter of it because it will roll back the copyright fees paid by satellite broadcasters to its past level. This will give us time to enact other legislation that will promote competition for the consumers in this country in the multichannel video programming industry and give consumers greater choices. I thank the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding and for this excellent piece of legislation that has been brought out of our committee.
Date: 1998-10-09
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. do you remember the quote? The President said. I am not against tax cuts. but I am against using the surplus for tax cuts or spending programs until we save Social Security. That is the Presidents quote. Well. the President cannot have it both ways. How do my colleagues think he plans to pay for the $25 billion in new spending that he is demanding from us? He is holding this Congress hostage for $25 billion of our hardearned dollars. Right out of the surplus and Social Security. of course. This is the same surplus he claims he wants to protect and save for Social Security. Do not be fooled. America. The President is misleading us. He is spending the surplus. He is not saving every penny for Social Security. He is using it to grow the government instead of growing our familys bank account where the surplus ought to be.
Date: 1998-10-10
Speaker: DAN COATS (republican)
Chamber: H

and others. as well as all the staff who worked so hard. including John Hanford. Steve Moffitt. Elaine Petty. Jim Jatras. Cecile Shea. Pam Sellars. I commend the gentleman from Virginia and his staffer Ann Huiskes. What is so remarkable about this bill is that it is bipartisan in nature. I know just how bipartisan the effort was. because my staffer. Laura Bryant. was one of the principal drafters of this bill together with my colleague on the other side. the gentleman from Texas
Date: 1998-10-10
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to authorize and facilitate a program to enhance training. research and development. energy conservation and efficiency. and consumer education in the oilheat industry for the benefit of oilheat consumers and the public. and for other purposes. as amended.
Date: 1998-10-10
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material.
Date: 1998-10-10
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Madam Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 3610. the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act. This bill. introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania allows the oilheat industry to establish an oilheat checkoff fee to fund research development and consumer education programs related to oilheat. Oilheat plays an important role in -keeping homes and businesses warm in the winter in many parts of this country. This legislation will give the oilheat industry greater resources to undertake research and development activities targeted at finding new and more efficient ways to use oilheat. Significantly. this bill which was proposed by the oilheat industry does not require the expenditure of significant amounts of Federal money. Through this bill. the oilheat industry is looking for ways to help itself. not a government handout. In particular. H.R. 3610 authorizes the oilheat industry to conduct a referendum among its retailers and wholesalers for the creation of a National Oilheat Research Alliance. NORA. If the oilheat industry approves such a referendum. NORA will be authorized to collect annual assessments from oilheat wholesalers to cover its planning and program costs. Madam Speaker. this is a good bill. and I urge its passage. Madam Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 1998-10-10
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Madam Speaker. I again thank the gentleman from Texas for working with us on this bill. and also the gentleman from Pennsylvania
Date: 1998-10-10
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. he is "wagging the dog." To those who think the White House scandal is a private matter having no effect on the country. just ask Americas farmers and ranchers. On the eve of the impeachment vote. .President Clinton vetoed the agriculture appropriations bill. Without warning. without compassion. and without logic. the President pulled the rug out from underneath Americas farmers and ranches. In the movie "Wag the Dog." a fictional President created a makebelieve war in another country. But today. the real President has declared real war on real farmers and real ranchers. real Americans with real families. Mr. Speaker. this Presidents escapade to move the crisis he created from the White House to the farmhouse is an outrage. Do not attack Americas farmers. Mr. President. Do not insult the ranchers. Do not destroy the farm economy. Do not do it. Mr. President. Do not wag the dog.
Date: 1998-10-12
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that I be able to claim the time in Special Orders of the gentleman from California .
Date: 1998-10-13
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. the New York Post reported last week. quote. "115 American men and women are in jailforever marked as felons--for having committed perjury in Federal courts. and before grand juries." Now. if any one of these felons had been resting in their airconditioned jail cells last week watching CSPAN on their color television sets. they would certainly be confused. but also gratified. "Confused" to see so many Members debating whether perjury is something that we still take seriously. "excited" to know so many Democrats have taken the side of the perjurers in saying that it is not. Well. Mr. Speaker. if the prosecutors and judges who have already put 115 perjurers behind bars want to find another one. all they have to do is ask any Member of Congress for the street address of the wrongdoers hideout. Better yet. crime fighters need only. ask any student in America who might have read in their civics textbook that 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is supposed to be the residence of democracy and the American Way: Justice. honor. dignity. truth. and all the rest.
Date: 1998-10-14
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. it is time for a pop quiz. Parents. teachers and local educators. get out your number two pencils. Question number one: Who do you trust more when it comes to educating your kids? A. Yourselves. B. Washington bureaucrats. Question number two: Who should decide whether your school district needs more teachers. more books. more computers or more funds for school construction? A. Yourselves. B. Washington bureaucrats. Question number three: Who has a better understanding of the individual needs of each student in your school? A. Yourselves. B. Washington bureaucrats. Okay. Time is up. Put down your pencils. Mr. Speaker. parents. teachers and local educators. if you answered "Washington bureaucrats" to any of these questions. then the new $1 billion Republican education plan for your classrooms is not for you.
Date: 1998-10-14
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. H.R. 4501 directs the Secretaries *of Agriculture and Interior to contract with an independent entity in consultation with the National Council on Disabilities to study ways to improve access for the disabled to outdoor recreation. Few agencies have a thorough understanding of the needs of this important population of Americans. Over the last several years the disabled have proven that personal determination and technological advancements overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. This bill will bring a heightened awareness of those issues and help facilitate the hopes and goals of over 40 million disabled Americans through outdoor recreation. This bill has had the inputs. suggestions and support of many organizations. including particularly the Rocky Mountain National Park Associates. the Wilderness Inquiry. and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support in this welltimed 18month study. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote for this sound bipartisan measure. This measure does enjoy bipartisan support not only here in Congress but throughout the country as well. I think as we look across the country at how we manage our public lands. national parks and forests. other public lands. that we keep in mind that there are many. many Americans who are taxpayers who are citizens who have every. right to enjoy this great. rich legacy that our country has set aside- for all Americans to .enjoy. This is public lands. I speak to. Making sure that the new improvements. the new developments. that all of the new designations that are made in our public lands. systems and structures take into account the needs of the disabled and the rights that they have to enjoy these national treasures is something that is of paramount importance. That is what is embodied in this important legislation. Those are the issues that I hope all Members of this body will agree are important in moving forward on this day and in persuading the Senate to do the same following our action. I want to thank the chairman again for the opportunity to present this legislation. to bring it to the floor and for his vigorous support of it.
Date: 1998-10-14
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

The history of the country since the mid or late seventies has been to grow the size of Washingtons bureaucracy when it comes to education. The Department of Education was created during the Carter administration. It has consistently grown and grown and grown. The percentage of Federal funds or Federal involvement in our local neighborhood schools has grown dramatically. and I know the impact in my community back in Colorado has not been positive by the Federal Governments manipulative efforts here out of Washington. I am curious as to what the impact of the growing Federal bureaucracy has had on the schools in the gentlemans local neighborhoods and local schools back in Georgia.
Date: 1998-10-14
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

This is one of the most important points. I think. in the Republican accomplishments for education. The special education program. and the funding for special education. is a matter of civil rights. The Supreme Court has determined that the Congress has now a legal obligation to really look out for the children who are of special needs. that they deserve the kind of education. the highest quality of education possible. to live the American dream as all students would. Yet. when the special education programs were created. this Congress. under Democrat leadership. has consistently eroded the funding for the program. So here again. we have a liberal model of government bureaucracy that establishes the rules and slowly drains away the funding that you need to comply with those rules. Today we have many. many school districts. in fact every school district throughout the country is trying to deal with the red tape. the rules. the regulations. which are fine. Some of these rules make sense and they lead to noble and worthwhile purposes and we need them. but these schools also need the funding necessary in order to meet this mandate from the Federal Government. This is a huge. unfunded mandate. and one that we are committed to resolving. By placing an additional $500 million in this particular line item. we have dramatically increased the percentage of Federal funding for special education students. This is a point of contention between the White House and the Congress. In fact. the President opposes our efforts to increase special education funding in this appropriations bill. He would rather take that $500 million and spend it on a free needle exchange program. spend it on other kinds of ridiculous programs that are a high priority over at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. not up at this end of the street. We are committed here. This is why these negotiations are carrying on as long as they are. because we are committed to funding this program for special education students to a much higher and greater degree than we have been able to do in past years. It is a real remarkable. turnaround for the American people. I know when I hear from school board members. administrators and teachers from back home. they really have their eye on this particular line item. They are really hoping that the Republicans win out on this debate. that we are able to beat the President on this particular topic because they know the children back home who have special needs. who need additional funding. who need this particular line item. who are protected under the civil rights laws of our country now. and this is the one of the few legitimate areas of Federal funding that -this Congress is constitutionally bound to deliver as determined by the Supreme Court.