macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-12-08
Speaker: VANNA SLAUGHTER (democrat)
Chamber: S

Catholic Charities of Dallas. Immigration Counseling Services. 5415 Maple Avenue. Suite 200. Dallas. TX. DEAR MS. SLAUGHTER: I write to inform you that Office of Special Counsels public education grant program and the grantee training conference scheduled for September 2930. is being postponed until later in the year. If. your organization was awarded a grant by the Office of Special Counsel in 2003 that has remaining funds. please immediately request from us a "no cost extension through December 31. 2004." This extension will permit your organization to have continued use of those funds through December 31 of this year. Please send your request via email to krupakar.revanna@usdoj.gov no later than We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. Sincerely.
Date: 2011-01-05
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. on this opening day of the new Congress I know that we all hope to work together to tackle the major problems that face our country. We heard that sentiment expressed by the outgoing Speaker. NANCY PELOSI. and by the incoming Speaker. JOHN BOEHNER. That is why the rules package. the plan put forth by the Republican majority not less than 2 hours after those comments were made. is so disappointing. because after months on the campaign trail telling the American people that they want to reduce deficits and the debt. this rule opens the door to larger deficits and a bigger national debt. It is a fiscally reckless blueprint. and the American people deserve better. Why do I say that? Because this plan guts the existing payasyougo rule that limits mandatory spending and tax breaks that add to our deficits. It also creates a mechanism to do an end run against the payasyougo law recently signed by President Obama that will limit increases in our national debt. How does this proposal do that? The rule and the laws weve been operating on say you cant add to the deficit by adding new spending entitlements. This rule. properly. keeps that restraint. as it should. But the rule being proposed. the plan being proposed. also eliminates provisions that says you cant add to the deficit by creating special interest tax breaks. The proposal before us eliminates that limitation. It says that the Congress will ignore the deficit impact of tax breaks whether theyre for hedge funds or for other special interests. Now. Mr. Speaker. every small business knows that there are two sides to balancing the books: the costs incurred by the business and the revenue the business brings in. This onesided rule ignores half of that equation. No small business could operate and survive that way in the United States and neither can the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker. if we defeat the previous question. I plan to offer an amendment to the Republican plan that is very simple. It says that a measure may only qualify for an exemption under this subsection if it does not increase the deficit over the period of fiscal years 2011 through 2021 beyond the exemptions permitted under the current law of the land. under statutory PAYGO. And. at the appropriate moment. we will offer that.
Date: 2011-01-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. today was a glorious day. but as we begin to discuss the rules that are now taking place. I raise questions. I would like to understand. if we are going to go forward in a fiscally responsible way. and I have heard so much about the Tea Party and I welcome certainly the expressions of those who have been elected as Republicans of those views. but we stand in this House. Republican and Democrat and some Independent. to work on issues for the American people. How do you in fact then eliminate. in some sense. the payasyougo rule. which we have all been committed to. which allows us to pay for what we want to encourage the American people to have. But now we have a rule that says that you cannot raise revenue. So if your soldiers on the battlefield need more resources. you can only get it by cutting spending of some other vulnerable population. What sense does that make? When we speak of open rules. what sense does it make to have a rule tomorrow that indicates that were repealing the health care bill under a closed rule. where well be saving some $143 billion over 3 years. but that rule would not allow that. This is a rules package that needs fixing. and I hope that we can go back to the drawing board.
Date: 2011-01-05
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. the American people did not bargain for a plan in the first 24 hours of the new Congress that would blow a hole in the deficit and expand the debt. The chairman of the Rules Committee mentioned the recent bipartisan tax agreement. We also recently had a bipartisan commission on the deficit and debt reduction. It looked at both sides of the equationspending and the fact that we have created lots of tax loopholes that have lost revenue to special interests. What this plan does. what the rule does. is say that that doesnt matter. that it doesnt count against the deficit. In fact. the existing rules under the House say that you cannot use the budget reconciliation process to add to the deficit. Your rule specifically eliminates that restriction. Your rule says go ahead and use the budget reconciliation process to add to the deficit and debt. You strike it. You give a green light. This rule also contains. on page 28. a little noticed provision that opens the door to politically motivated. Enronstyle accounting as a means to do an end run around the payasyougo law signed by President Obama. The current practice of this Congress has been that we will use the budget estimates of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to determine the deficit impact on the laws that we pass here in this body for the purpose of payasyougo. That is because. while we should have a vigorous debate over policy. we dont want politicians inventing selfserving budget numbers. Now. the Congressional Budget Office serves as our umpire. They call the balls and the strikes. as you know. Sometimes we dont like the calls they make. Sometimes we do. Yet what this rule says is we are going to take the umpire off the field when it comes to statutory PAYGO. We are going to substitute our accounting for the folks whose professional job it is to determine the deficit impact of different legislation that we pass. I think when the American people find out that this opens the door to this kind of fun and games. they are going to ask themselves: Is this something I really bargained for?
Date: 2011-01-05
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Reclaiming my time. I think my friend knows they did that as part of a whole tax reform package that closed the tax loopholes that your proposal would open.
Date: 2011-01-05
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: S
State: California

The message further announced that pursuant to section 106 of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (Public Law 110315) and the order of the House of January 6. 2009. the Speaker appoints the following member of the House of Representatives to the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity for a term of 6 years. upon the recommendation of the Majority Leader: Dr. George T. French of Fairfield. Alabama.
Date: 2011-01-06
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

"The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate. but shall not have no vote. unless they be equally divided. The Senate shall choose their other officers. and also a President pro tempore. in the absence of the Vice President. or when he shall exercise the office of President of the United States."
Date: 2011-01-06
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Section 6: "The Senators and Representatives shall receive a compensation for their services to be ascertained by law and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all cases. except treason. felony and breach of the peace. be privileged from arrest during their attendance at the session of their respective Houses and in going to and returning from the same. and for any speech or debate in either House. they shall not be questioned in any other place."
Date: 2011-01-06
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

"If after such consideration twothirds of that House shall agree to pass the bill. it shall be sent together with the objections to the other House by which it shall likewise be reconsidered. and if approved by twothirds of that House. it shall become a law."
Date: 2011-01-06
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. "No State shall enter into any treaty. alliance. or confederation. grant letters of marque and reprisal. coin money. emit bills of credit. make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts. pass any bill of attainder. ex post facto law. or law impairing the obligation of contracts. or grant any title of nobility."
Date: 2011-01-06
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

"If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term. or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify. then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified. and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a Presidentelect nor a Vice Presidentelect shall have qualified. declaring who shall then act as President or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected. and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have been qualified."
Date: 2011-01-06
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

"But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress. and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President. or acting as President. during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term."
Date: 2011-01-07
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am wondering whether many people understand what we did today. Frankly. we gave permission for more Americans to die from a lack of good health care. In fact. as I presented my amendments to the Rules Committee last evening. I was reminded. if you will. of those who really suffer because of a lack of access to good health care. I offered an amendment to ensure that H.R. 2. to repeal this good health care bill. would not eliminate what we call community health clinics and deny rural and urban areas of good doctors and nurses who treat the children and seniors. And then I asked that we protect the middle class and not have the insurance rates go up. And finally. an amendment to make sure that we dont have Medicaid and Medicare fraud and abuse and to protect those who need Medicaid. as my State of Texas is going to eliminate it. So people will die as we proceed in this untimely and ludicrous process. But Im glad that Pastor D.Z. Cofield in my district will ascend to the presidency of the NAACP in our local community. I believe with all of these good thinking people. we will be able to rise up and save the lives and oppose any repeal of this good affordable care bill.
Date: 2011-01-12
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the resolution before us today and think it is fitting and proper that we take this opportunity to pause and remember those who lost their lives and were wounded in the tragedy that occurred last Saturday in Tucson. Arizona. It is really hard to comprehend how such senseless acts of violence can happen. And yet while we may not be able to fathom why this tragedy occurred. the harsh reality is that six innocent people were killed. including a 9yearold child. and another 14 individuals were wounded. including our own friend and colleague. Representative GABRIELLE GIFFORDS. As we speak. she remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit at the University Medical Center in Tucson. fighting for her life. Those of us who know GABBY know that she is a real fighter and that gives us optimism that the final outcome will be a good one and that she will be returning to this institution that she loves and still fight for what she believes in. A number of my colleagues have spoken about the many ways in which Representative GIFFORDS has touched their lives here in Congress. and I would like to echo some of those sentiments. As the ranking member on the Science. Space. and Technology Committee. I have seen firsthand the way her passion. commitment and competence have been used to voice her help for our Nation to move forward in a positive way. She has been very active as a member of the committee sponsoring and cosponsoring numerous pieces of legislation relating to research. innovation. renewable energy. space exploration. and math and science education. They have included the Solar Technology Roadmap Act. the Science Parks Research and Innovative Technologies Act. the NASA Authorization Act of 2010. and America COMPETES. as many other important pieces. She has been tireless in carrying out her oversight responsibilities. As chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee in the 111th Congress. she conducted numerous hearings on a wide range of issues related to NASA. civil and commercial space activities. international cooperation in space. civil aviation. and earth observations. among others. Her willingness to work hard. to get the facts and exercise tough love on the agencies she oversees has earned her the respect of Members on both sides of the aisle. In addition. while she is not afraid to express her views directly. she always has done so with civility and grace. Mr. Speaker. Congresswoman GABRIELLE GIFFORDS. the one I know and respect. we hope to see her return soon. It is still hard for me to comprehend that such evil could befall her and the other victims of last Saturday. I know I speak for all Members in saying that our thoughts and prayers are with each of them and their families. We look forward to the day when we can welcome Ms. GIFFORDS back to the House floor and join together with her to do the Nations business.
Date: 2011-01-12
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. today we are one. and we are resolute. We are one because we understand that there really is but one race. and that is the human race. We are one because. as Dr. King put it. all of humanity was created by one common Creator to live in harmonyfrom a bass black to a treble white. We are one. and we are resolute. We are resolute in our belief that one day our friend. our sister. will return to the floor of this Congress. to this Hall. and she will stand at this podium. and she will be welcomed by her colleagues as she returns and takes her rightful place in the Halls of the Congress of the United States of America. We are one. and we are resolute because we believe that an innocent baby was taken from us. That innocent baby. though she is not with us in the physical. will forever be with us in the spiritual as long as we remember who she was and never forget that we cannot allow the innocent to be stolen from us without our taking the time to pause and be grateful for the time that we had with the innocent. We are one. and we are resolute. We must also be resolute in a basic premise that Dr. King called to our attention. and that is that we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters. or we will perish together as fools. We are one. and we are resolute.
Date: 2011-01-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Congresswoman GIFFORDS loved America and she loved Americas values. and America blessed her with opportunities. American values give us all the opportunity to do our best and to be our best. Last Saturday. Congresswoman GIFFORDS was at her best meeting the people of Arizona. of Tucson. and the United States of America. But Congresswoman GIFFORDS would also ask us to do our best. And as the Bible has said. she was a woman who used her talents well. She would also want us to acknowledge the Americans who have poured out their hearts during this tragedy all over this Nation. Americans did their best Saturday. And good Americans lost their lives being good Americans. We know of those who lost their lives and offered to us a sacrifice: Christina Taylor Green. Dorothy Morris. Judge John Roll. Phyllis Schneck. Dorwan Stoddard. and Gabriel Zimmerman of her staff. We are well aware of what happened. And we say to Congresswoman GIFFORDS. keep on fighting for your life. along with others who were wounded. while the heroes of that day. Mr. Hernandez and others. reflect on the horror. But hopefully. they know that they did their best. Now it is time for us to do our best. to be a servant leader. giving to others first. showing by example. It is so very important that we do so in her name. To Captain Kelly. a brave American and family. we stand by you. we stand by your side. You will not stand by yourself. To Congresswoman GIFFORDS staff. we stand with you. and we pray for you and your loss and those who are wounded. We are committed to both our freedom of expression and our job to create a more perfect Union. And yes. in the words of Scott Kelly. as I offer them today. Marks twin brother. "We have a unique vantage point here aboard the international space station. As I look out the window. I see a very beautiful planet that seems very inviting and peaceful. Unfortunately. it is not. These days. we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts of violence and damage we can inflict upon one another. not just with our actions but also with our irresponsible words. We are better than this. We must do better." I agree. we can do better. And we can follow these words.
Date: 2011-01-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. many of us have just come from a congressional prayer service for the victims of the terrible tragedy in Arizona where we sang "Heal Us Now." We all know in this body that GABBY GIFFORDS is one of our brightest lights: smart. fair. courageous. and considerate of people of all points of view. She is a very effective legislator and a caring and thoughtful friend. And the people of Arizona could not have a better representative in this United States Congress. On Saturday. she was doing the job she loves so dearly and takes so seriously: meeting with her constituents and listening to their concerns when this senseless act of violence occurred. We come together to grieve for those who were killed. including GABBYS talented and energetic outreach director. Gabe Zimmerman. to pray for the quick recovery of those injured. and to honor those who. in a moment of chaos and violence. took heroic actions that saved the lives of many. including GABBY. GABBY GIFFORDS is a person who is always thinking of othersher constituents. her staff. her colleagues. I spoke with her frequently during the very tough campaign she went through. and she was always just asking how were her colleagues doing. Today. in that same way. GABBY would want us to be thinking and praying for the othersfor her fallen and injured constituents and for her heroic staff. Gabe Zimmerman died doing what he loved. serving the people of Arizona. His many good works are a testament to the selfless works of public service performed by congressional staff every day for the people of our districts and our Nation. GABBY GIFFORDS has always conducted herself in a manner that brings honor on this peoples House. She passionately advocates for the positions and issues she cares so deeply about but always in a way that is respectful of opposing views. She is a fierce competitor. but is always considerate of others.
Date: 2011-01-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

That is why she was such a good role model for Christina Taylor Greenthe 9yearold girl born on that terrible day of September 11. 2001. and who was gunned down on another awful day for our Nation. Christina Taylor Green. Gabe Zimmerman. and four others are. tragically. no longer with us. As we mourn their loss. we also pray for the full recovery of those who were injured. GABBY GIFFORDS light continues to shine. and she will continue to inspire young and old throughout Arizona and our Nation. God bless GABBY GIFFORDS and all the victims of this horrible tragedy.
Date: 2011-01-12
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. today I extend sympathies and well wishes to my colleague. Congresswoman GABRIELLE GIFFORDS of the 8th Congressional District of the State of Arizona. I wish a speedy recovery for this remarkable woman who has dedicated her life and career in service to her constituents. I would also like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims who were fatally wounded: nineyearold Christina Taylor Green. Congressional Staffer Gabe Zimmerman. Federal Judge John Roll. and Arizona citizens Dorwin Stoddard. Phyllis Schneck. as well as Dorothy Morris. To the people of Tucson. Arizona affected by this random. senseless act of violence. my thoughts and prayers remain with you. As they work through the ineffable tragedy which befell this community on Saturday. January 8. 2011. 1 must commend the tireless efforts of Pima Countys first responders. as well as the efforts of bystanders in their role to restore and maintain order during this tragedy. With their efforts. lives were saved. America is mourning both for the victims of this tragedy and for the assault against our constitutional right to peaceably assemble. That our citizens can fall under attack while upholding our Democratic values is deplorable. We must never allow an act of violence to thwart this right. I ask my colleagues to join me in support of the Resolution before this chamber today which condemns this indiscriminate act of violence and honors Representative GIFFORDS as she fights to recover.
Date: 2011-01-12
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. I rise today to strongly support the resolution honoring the victims of the Arizona tragedy. I condemn the senseless act of violence that ended six lives too soon and injured many others. including one of our colleagues. Representative GABRIELLE GIFFORDS of Arizona. Representative GIFFORDS is an indefatigable advocate for her constituents and a strong believer in the value of public service. She has worked day and night to improve her community and help those around her in need. Even when shes had a strong disagreement with a colleagueon either side of the aisleshe was always willing to work with those colleagues again. For her. disagreements do not foreclose cooperation. She truly embodies what it means to be a public servant. I want to commend the quick and heroic actions of the brave citizens who responded that day. In a frightful situation. when the natural response is to run in fear. Patricia Maisch. Roger Sulzeber. Joseph Zimudie. and Daniel Hernandez. Jr. took actions to help the injured and stop the attack. They risked their lives for the safety of others. and without their actions. it is likely many more lives may have been lost. Acts and threats of violence such as these have no place in our society and the voices of the American people will not be silenced or diminished because of these acts. As we pause to reflect on the tragic events of Saturday. we should make special efforts to remember those whose lives were senselessly taken: Gabe Zimmerman. Christina Taylor Green. Judge John M. Roll. Dorwin Stoddard. Dorothy Morris. Phyllis Schneck. We should remember their families in our prayersand ask that they be comforted in their grief. Like so many others. words cannot adequately express my shock and sorrow over this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers are with all the affected families.