macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds to submit for insertion into the RECORD a statement of 650 economists. including five Nobel laureates. that support this increase in the minimum wage and say that it will not be detrimental to the economy.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 30 seconds. Essentially. the case that the gentleman from Georgia makes. it just doesnt reflect the reality on the ground. As those States have increased the minimum wage far above the Federal minimum wage. their economies have expanded. job hiring has expanded. business growth has expanded far faster than in those States that thought it was in their interest to keep a lower minimum wage. And I also find it interesting that in my own State of California the business organizations support an increase in minimum wage to $8 an hour and our economy continues to grow and continues to add those jobs. So the realworld experience is different than data from 20 years ago. Mr. Speaker. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas . a member of the committee.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 15 seconds. Mr. Speaker. I noticed in the Congressional Daily that the Republican ranking member on this committee says he does not expect the health care package to be part of minimum wage. So. once again. we have a mismatch here of hijacking this bill to improve minimum wage for the lowestwage working people. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio .
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California . a longtime battler for economic and social justice.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this extremely important legislation for Americas workers. The last 10 years we have seen these tired old Republican arguments against increasing the minimum wage while the huge wealth of the highest paid in our country increases. We have not raised the minimum wage since 1997. When adjusted for inflation. the minimum wage is the lowest it has been in 50 years. That is 10 years of wasted opportunity on this floor that is being corrected today. A minimum wage worker fulltime makes $10.700 a year. That is well below the poverty level. We need to provide a lift for these hardworking Americans. I agree with the late U.S. Senator from Texas. Ralph Yarborough. when he said. "Lets put the jam on the lower shelf for the people." This increase will provide much needed help to the lowest wage earners in our country. Their needs and dreams are no different from anyone elses. These wage earners want to earn a decent wage to be able to put dinner on the table for their families. It is not too much to ask that we raise the minimum wage after a decade of taking no action on this important part of the American economy. Passing this bill today is the right step. and I urge my colleagues to support it. I rise today to support his extremely important legislation for Americas workers. The last ten years we have seen these tired old Republican arguments against increasing the minimum wage while the huge wealth increases of the highest paid in our country. We have not raised the minimum wage since 1997. When adjusted for inflation. the minimum wage is the lowest its been in 50 years. Thats 10 years of wasted opportunity. A minimum wage earner working fulltime makes only $10.700 a year. This is well below the poverty threshold for a family of three. We need to provide a lift for these hard working Americans. I agree with our late U.S. Senator from Texas Ralph Yarbrough when he said "Lets put the jam on the lower shelf for the people." This increase will provide much needed help to the lowest wage earners of our country. Their needs and dreams are not different than anyone elses. These wageearners want to earn a decent wage and be able to put dinner on the table and provide for their families. It is not too much to ask that we raise the minimum wage after a decade of taking no action on this important part of the American economy. Passing this bill today is a step in the right direction and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution and put the jam on the lower shelf.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Fair Minimum Wage Act. This bill will help nearly 13 million workers and their families by raising the minimum wage. *The value of the minimum wage is lower than it has been in half a century. Instead of providing a living wage to hardworking American families. the minimum wage is a poverty wage. It is nearly $6.000 short of the Federal poverty line for a family of three if a minimum wage worker works full time. Shouldnt having a job raise you out of poverty. instead of trapping you in it? The minimum wage has stagnated since 1997. but wages have soared for those highest on the income scale. The average CEO of a Standard & Poors.500 company made $13.5 million in 2005. The average CEO makes 821 times as much as a minimum wage worker. With salaries like these it is clear why an average CEO earns more before lunchtime than a minimum wage worker earns all year. The average CEO is doing just fine looking out for himself. But Americas most vulnerable families need somebody who is looking out for them. This bill is a good bill. it is an important bill. and it is the right thing to do. I hope all my colleagues will join me in voting "yes" on H.R. 2.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself 1 minute. Mr. Speaker. it is rather interesting that speaker after speaker gets up on the other side of the floor and in spite of the economic evidence of how well those States that have raised their. minimum wages are doing compared in terms of job creation and economic growth to those States that kept the minimum wage low. it is rather compelling and overwhelming evidence in terms of higher job growth and higher economic growth. significantly higher even in the retail professions in those States that increased the minimum wage. It is also rather interesting in light of the fact that the Gallup Poll of small business owners in March of last year said the overwhelming majority of small business owners. 86 percent. say the minimum wage had no impact on them. Nearly half the small business owners. 46 percent. supported the increase in the minimum wage. It is an interesting dynamic you are talking about. but it is almost 20 years out of date in terms of the economics. what is taking place. as States have continued to raise the minimum wage. and the economic growth that has followed the wage increases that have followed. the growth and retail. which is very difficult in a competitive area. and the job growth that was created in those areas because people had money to put int6 the economy.. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maine .
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H

for their leadership in making this.issue a priority in the first 100 hours of legislation. As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. I stand here with my friends from the TriCaucus in support of increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 and urge Congress to support a clean vote to this bill. It has been 10 years since the last increase in the minimum wage. and. adjusted for inflation. the minimum wage is now at its lowest level since 1955. Over the past 5 years. the number of Asian and Pacific Islander Americans living in poverty has grown by 243.000. In 2005. more than 1.5 million Asian Pacific Islander Americans. nearly 9 percent of all APIA families in the U.S.. were living below the poverty line. Certain ethnic communities. such as Hmong Americans and Cambodian Americans. experience poverty at up to three times that rate. The median household income for APIA families is down $2.157 since 2000. Now is the time for us to take a step in a new direction and help to improve the quality of life for the estimated 14.9 million workers in this country.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I have waited a long time for this day. This is a great day. It is a day that the American people have been waiting for a very long time. Helping the poor is a theme that is stressed throughout the Bible. but it is our responsibility as Members of Congress to help raise the standard. I am so pleased today that we are going to have an opportunity to have a clean vote on raising the minimum wage for the first time in 10 years. You know. the sad thing is that a CEO before 12:00 earns more money than a person on minimum wage will earn all year long. In talking to some of the CEOs about it. they mention. maybe we are trying to help students or parttime workers. The truth of the fact is. we are raising the minimum wage. We are providing an additional $4.400 per year for a struggling family to make ends meet and keep up with the rising cost of living. This bill is not about students and parttime workers. No. it is about the nearly 13 million fulltime workers. many with families to care for. who earn the minimum wage. In my State of Florida. the increase would directly benefit over 200.000 workers and have a positive effect on over a half million people. Today is a great day for America and for the American worker. I urge my colleagues to vote "yes" on this bill. I hope the Senate passes this version as soon as possible so that we can provide immediate relief to our Nations workers.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas who has been a longtime advocate of the increase in the minimum wage. both in this Congress and before he came to this Congress.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. it has been said. but it bears repeating. that a person working full tTme. full time at $5.15 an hour. will make $10.700 per year. If that person happens to have a child. that person is living below the poverty line of $13.461. No one in this. the richest country in the world. should work full time and live below the poverty line. In this country. we want people to work their way out of poverty. What better way to have them do this than have a minimum wage that gives people a job and money that takes them above the poverty line. 0J 1400 Mr. Speaker. it Is sinful for us to continue this debate without adding that in this country one out of every 110 persons is a millionaire. People dont want welfare. People want selfcare. We want to give people the means by which they can say farewell to welfare. Raising the minimum wage will do this.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I make a point of order against the motion to recommit. The motion is not germane. For example. the motion contains tax provisions which are clearly outside the jurisdiction of the bill.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I would simply press the point that the motion to recommit offered by the minority is not germane. and it contains tax provisions and others that are outside the scope of the jurisdiction of the bill.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. and Members of the House. today is a remarkable day. because after 10 years. we are going to have an upanddown vote on whether the poorest people in our Nation. who are working every day and. at the end of the year. end up poor.. deserve a raise. That is what we are going to do today. For 10 years. we have struggled to have this vote. and now we are finally going to have it. We have had a lot of excuses why we couldnt have it. We have had votes hijacked. and we have had votes pulled off the floor. but we could never have this vote. Today. the beginning of the 100 hours. we are going to have this vote. We are going to have this vote. because this is a major concern. This is a major concern to the American society. What so many of my colleagues made clear today in the debate is that after you have stalled this vote for 10 years. this goes way beyond the dollars and cents of the minimum wage. It goes to the core values of America and economic justice and social justice and fairness and whether or not every American is going to get to participate in the American economic system and also be able to provide for their children and their families. But my colleagues didnt disappoint me today on the other side of the aisle. We have one more bump in the road. This last moment. they have offered us a motion to recommit where they say. if you offer your employees a health care plan. you can keep the minimum wage at $5.15. Now it doesnt say that health care plan has to be affordable. It doesnt say what the deductibles are. the copayments. which I am sure if you are a minimum wage worker at $5.15 today. a wage that is 10 years old. I am sure you can pay the copayments and the deductibles and the premiums. That will not be a problem. What is it you dont understand about being poor? What is it you dont understand? You are stuck at $5.15 in todays world. You cant buy the gasoline to go to work. the bread to put on the table. the milk out of the refrigerator. Your utilities are going up. The rent is going up. Now you say. by the way. if you can pay for a health care plan. you can stay at the minimum wage. you lucky ducky. I dont think that is what America was talking about when 89 percent of them said they want this Congress to raise the minimum wage. not trade it in. not trade it in. They didnt ask us to trade in the increase in the minimum wage for some phantom health care proposal. You know what the average premium is for a family? The average premium is $10.880. Okay. That is good plans and bad plans together. Cut it in half. You are at the minimum wage. You have got to pay $5.000? Cut it in half again. You are at the minimum wage. You can pay another $2.000 for your health care? I dont think so. I dont think so. Let us get on with the Nations business. with the peoples business. and with the minimumwage workers business. Let us reject this motion and pass this bill now.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you to my good friend. Before you are excused. though. I do want to tell you. you were so kind in your words about the three of us and you have been so helpful to us over the last 2 years and joining us here night after night on the floor. But. quite honestly. I really want to commend you on your eloquence and your commitment on this issue in particular. You have been one of the key leaders of the Out of Iraq Caucus. You have kept this caucus focused on those issues that are incredibly important. As my good friend. the gentleman from Florida. indicated in his remarks earlier. one of the major reasons that we were returned to the majority of this institution is because of how strongly people feel about the situation with the war in Iraq. And so thank you very much for helping with that effort. With that having been said. one of the things that I think that is going to be imlortant in about an hour from now for the American people to note when the President makes his remarks to the Nation is that what we heard the President say repeatedly. Mr. RYAN.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I know our good friend from Rhode Island wants to talk about H.R. 3. which we will be considering tomorrow. But the Iraq Study Group. which you briefly touched on a few minutes ago. It is amazing how that just almost has faded into oblivion. that their recommendations. the number of months they worked. the expertise that was put together. led by former Secretary of State Mr. Baker and Mr. Hamilton. very well respected. Nowhere in their recommendations. am I right. was there an escalation of troops. Was there any indication in the Iraq Study Group. who arguably is the finest group of experts that could have been put together to make recommendations. nowhere in there was an escalation of troops. At least from what I noticed. and you can correct me if I am wrong. the President essentially just dismissed their recommendation and moved on and went in the direction that he chose to go. I would like to take this opportunity to yield to my good friend. to our good friend. the gentleman from Rhode Island. because we are dealing with an important piece of legislation tomorrow that has already been put on the Presidents desk once. And as part of the new direction for our Six in 2006 agenda. we are going to put it on his desk again. because maybe he will get it right a second time.
Date: 2007-01-10
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

We want to thank the people in the chamber for listening. and encourage people to come to our Web site www.speaker.gov/30something. and we also look forward to having a graphic so we dont all have to make sure we remember the Web site. Thank you.
Date: 2007-01-11
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. Members of the House. the disaster that we now see unfolding in the Middle East with the war in Iraq was set in motion when this President. against the advice of so many generals and military people. and against the advice of so many Middle East experts. made the decision to invade Iraq. It was a war of choice. a choice not made by the American people. but a choice made by this President. And he set in motion the disaster that we now see. We understand that this decision that he made has been paid for by the lives and the injuries and the harm done to our men and women in uniform. Last night he asked for a continuation of that disastrous choice with no new plan to change the outcome. but to simply extend the time in which our military will be engaged in Iraq. It is foolhardy to believe that we should be sending our troops into Iraq based upon the theory that the Shia majority in Iraq for the first time in 100 years and the growing Shia majority across the Middle East is going to negotiate away their ability to act as a majority. This is a foolhardy trip. and we ought to vote against the Presidents proposal.
Date: 2007-01-11
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. it is time for the Iraqis to stand up and defend themselves. Mr. Speaker. we have freed them from a ruthless dictator. We have lost more than 3.000 lives. We have more than 20.000 wounded. We have helped them to construct a constitution. to reestablish their constabulary. We have helped them hold an election. and we are spending more than $177 million. not per year. not per month. not per week. but per day. It is time for them to stand up and defend themselves. Do not send 20.000 in. bring 20.000 troops home. It is time for them to stand up and defend themselves.
Date: 2007-01-11
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. today. we will vote on a bill to provide changes to a merciless Federal stem cell policy. changes that are still relevant and still necessary despite the recent discovery of stem cells derived from amniotic fluid cells. To be sure. this is an important discovery. but the same scientists championing this research have stressed the amniotic cells are not a substitute for embryonic stem cells. While they hold the great promise of turning into some cell types. only embryonic stem cells can divide indefinitely and evolve into any cell type in the body. If anything. the recent amniotic stem cell study proves that it is critical to explore all kinds of stem cell research. since advancements in one area of stem cell research could lead to lifesaving discoveries in others. By prohibiting Federal funds of more embryonic stem cell research. the current policy shuts the door on this collaborative research and slams it in the face of millions of Americans suffering from incurable diseases. We have the opportunity today to advance this promising research that could offer cures for the scourges of our times. To purposefully keep the doors to a cure closed is a patent failure of our responsibility to ease human suffering from scores of incurable diseases.
Date: 2007-01-11
Speaker: PATRICK J. MURPHY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Penn

sylvania. Mr. Speaker. I rise today as an original cosponsor of this legislation and a strong supporter of the medicalmiracle of embryonic stem cell research. Mr. Speaker. there is a woman named Shelbie Oppenheimer who is watching today in my district of New Hope. Pennsylvania. who simply wants to see her 8yearold daughter Isabella go to her senior prom in 10 years. Shelbie -lives with her husband Jeff and their 8yearold daughter. and over a decade ago. Shelbie was diagnosed with ALS. Lou Gehrigs disease. She was 28 years. old. Shelbie vowed to fight the disease and looked at embryonic stem cell research as her best and perhaps only hope to fill her dream of seeing her daughter grow up. E] 1145 Now confined to a hospital bed in her own living room. Shelbie continues to fight on. Though forced to speak through a respirator. she told me. "PATRICK. my voice is too soft to be heard. so please tell my story." There are countless stories of heartache and hope across America just like Shelbies. Mr. Speaker. I know Shelbie is watching us today. and I hope we make her proud.
Date: 2007-01-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 . This bipartisan legislation will provide countless number of Americans hope of finding cures for many lifethreatening diseases. I strongly believe stem cell research holds the promise of scientific breakthroughs that could improve the lives of millions of Americans afflicted with a debilitating diseasesuch as Parkinsons. diabetes. spinal cord injuries. autoimmune diseases. cardiovascular disease. and cancerfor which there is currently no cure. For these patients and their families. stem cell research is the last hope for a cure. I wholeheartedly believe we should allow the expansion of federally supported research of human embryonic stem cell lines. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 would provide federal for a wider range of stem cell research while establishing ethical guidelines. In addition. the legislation would provide that embryos that are otherwise likely to be discarded can be used to develop treatments for debilitating diseases and lifesaving cures. I was extremely disappointed that the President exercised his first veto on a piece of legislation that has bipartisan support. A majority ofthe American people support stem cell research. In the last election. Missouri voters approved a ballot measure to allow stem cell research in that state. It is expected that the Senate will pass H.R. 3. If that is the case. I hope the President will listen to Congress and the American people rather than to the extreme right of his own political party and not wield his veto pen on this promising legislation. We must put the health of the American people over politics. Mr. Speaker. this is an issue that affects every family in America. I strongly urge my House colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.