macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I just want to comment briefly on the March 6 date. It is my understanding that two Republican Senators requested dramatic changes to the EVerify program extension that we were able to pass here. When they were unable to get it. the Senateor I should say the other bodywas able to agree on just an extension until March 6. Then the issue was that nothing else was going to go past March 6. So I think its interesting to note that. even though we oftentimes have very contentious disagreements on various immigration matters here in the House. we were able to come to an agreement to extend the EVerify program for an extended period of time. They couldnt get that together in the Senate. so were going to. indeed. have to revisit this as well as EVerify early next year. and we will have to try and come to an agreement that is bipartisan and bicameral. Certainly. we need to approve this today so that religious workers can enrich the lives of our communities. With that. I urge its adoption. Mr. Speaker. S. 3606 is similar to a bill I authored. H.R. 5570. which passed the House on April 15 of this year. Both bills would reauthorize the Special Immigrant NonMinister Religious Worker Program. which allows nonminister religious workers to obtain special immigrant status in the U.S. so that they may do the work required of their faith. The program is vitally important to. religious organizations as it provides in manylinstances the only avenue for nuns. monks. and other people of faith to come to the United States to fill a vocation or other traditional religious occupation. Those who use the visas come over to serve as missionaries. counselors. translators. religious instructors. cantors. and other pastoral care providers. Unfortunately. the program is currently set to expire in just a few days. H.R. 5570. the bill I authored. would have extended the program for several years. But S. 3606. as sent back from the Senate. would extend the program only through March 6. 2009. Although I strongly would have preferred to extend the program for longer. the -program is too important to let expire. We should extend the program today to allow us the additional time we need to work out a longer extension. I also note tat the program was first enacted in 1990 and that Congress has extended it four times. most recently in 2003. Working with LAMAR SMITH. the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee. we made changes to the program for the first time to address potential fraudulent uses of the program. The Senate bill includes those protections. I urge my colleagues to support this important bipartisan legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill to extend for 5 years the program relating to waiver of the foreign country residence requirement with respect to international medical graduates. and for other purposes.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. H.R. 5571 reauthorizes a critically important immigration program that helps medically underserved communities attract highly skilled physicians. This program expired on June 1 of this year. On May 21. the House passed this bill with a 5year reauthorization. As sent back from the Senate. the bill allows the program to expire again on March 6. 2009. While this unfortunate limitation will require Congress to revisit this issue promptly next year. the program is too important to let expire. The program helps States attract doctors who have received their medical training in the United States and who agree to work in medically underserved areas. Its importance was demonstrated last year when a tornado utterly destroyed the town of Greensburg. Kansas. That town would not have had doctors without this program. and their presence helped tremendously in the towns ability to keep casualties to a minimum. We need to keep this program going so that the States can attract medical talent and keep the doors open. I commend Ranking Member Lamar Smith. as well as my colleague. Sheila JacksonLee. for their efforts to bring this bill to the floor. and I urge my colleagues to support- this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. today. we are preventing a critically important immigration program from expiring. No one disputes that there is a health care crisis in this country. With our population aging. there is no doubt that the demand for health care will only increase. The problem is made worse by a shortage of medical professionals. including doctors. in many communities across America. H.R. 5571 will reauthorize a programthe Conrad 30 J Waiver Programthat has been successful at helping medically underserved communities attract highly skilled physicians. The program allows States to recruit foreign doctors who have received their medical training in the United States. so long as those doctors work in medically underserved areas. This program is critically important to underserved communities across this country. but it unfortunately expired on June 1. 2008. The House passed the bill on May 21. but the Senate did not act until just yesterday. when it extended the program through March 6. 2009. Although I would have strongly preferred to reauthorize this program for 5 .ears. as the bill I introduced stated. this program is too important to let expire as we continue to negotiate the length of time this program should be extended. We must pass this bill today so that we may have the additional time we need to further reauthorize the Conrad 30 J Waiver Program. I wish to thank LAMAR SMITH. the Ranking -Member of the Judiciary Committee. and Representative SHEILA JACKSONLEE for their efforts in helping me bring this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to establish and operate a National Center for Campus Public Safety.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. over the past few years. we have seen a number of tragic incidents of violence at colleges and universities. including the disastrous iricidents at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University. This bill will help schools to more effectively prevent such incidents and to more effectively respond if such incidents do occur. It creates a national center for campus public safety administered through the Department of Justice. The center will train campus safety agencies. promote research into improving campus safety. and be a clearinghouse for campus safety information. The director at the center will have the authority to award grants to institutions of higher learning to help them meet their enhanced public safety goals. I would like to thank and publicly acknowledge Crime Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Scott of Virginia. as well as ranking member of that subcommittee. Louie Gohmert of Texas. as well as Senator LEAHY for their bipartisan leadership on this initiative. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide grants for the improved mental health treatment and services provided to offenders with mental illnesses. and for other purposes.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this bill is similar to H.R. 3992. which was authored by Crime Subcommittee Chairman Bobby Scott of Virginia which passed our House in January. The Senate bill focuses on expanding the allowable uses of funds in existing programs that provide assistance to mentally ill offenders. It reauthorizes the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Grant Program at the current level of $50 million It expands the permissible use of funds for mental health courts that will incorporate pretrial services and assessments for alternatives to incarceration. Funds under this bill can be used to assist law enforcement agencies with identifying and reducing the risk of harm to mentally ill offenders. while also maintaining public safety. Finally. this bill Will provide States and units of government with funding to improve the treatment of female offenders with mental illness. Despite common misconceptions. the majority of mentally ill people who are arrested and incarcerated are lowlevel. nonviolent offenders. This legislation will help jurisdictions assist mentally ill people in ways that help keep them out of our jails and prisons if thats not where they belong. This is a good bill. and I urge its passage. I reserve.the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I would just say that at a time when the majority of mental health treatment provided in this country is provided in county jails. a measure such as this is enormously important to divert individuals who are suffering from an illness to appropriate treatment where their illness would be treated and where their disruptive behavior will not bother others. Im glad that we are moving forward in a bipartisan manner to approve this. Iyield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to make improvements in the operation and administration of the Federal courts. and for other purposes.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and. extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. this bill contains what we believe are noncontroversial measures proposed by the Judicial Conference to improve efficiency in the Federal courts. Many have passed the House in a prior Congress in similar forms. The bill makes some realignments in the place of holding court within specified judicial districts so as to better serve local communities. It permits a chief pretrial services officer to be chosen locally by the district court. just like the chief probation officer. It updates the penalty for failure to appear for jury duty. or lying on a questionnaire to avoid jury duty. by raising the maximum fine from $100 to $1.000. and by allowing the judge to impose community service. The bill also increases the maximum penalty for employers who retaliate against employees who are called to serve on jury duty. Other updates include making electronically produced information coverable in court costs. and adding magistrate judges to the list who can be included in dircuit Judicial Conferences. I think this bill. while noncontroversial. is certainly important in increasing the efficiency of our judicial H10272 CC branch. and I hope that we will unanimously support it. I would reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I would just note this bill. while perhaps boring to many Members. is important to us. And it is a measure that we have adopted with so many of these Members in prior Congresses. and- yet because they have to do with downintheweeds issues in the Judiciary. they dont always get the attention that they should. Im hopeful. and Im glad. that we have worked so collaboratively to-
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I thank the gentleman for yielding. And as you and I both serve on the Courts and Intellectual Property Subcommittee. and most of what we have done has been on the intellectual property side of that. and important as that work is. this is a measure that the court side also is important. So. again. I look forward to next year. I think both you and I will return and dig in on some of these issues.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I would just like to theink Mr. SMITH for his enormously complimentary and gracious comments. I look forward to working with him next year. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-27
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of the Webcaster Settlement Act. Since the Copyright Royalty Board announced its- decision dramatically increasing royalty rates for webcasters. Internet radio has really been in serious jeopardy. In some cases. fees under the ruling actually exceeded the revenue. obviously a business model that is impossible to sustain. Because the demise of Internet radio is absolutely in no ones interest. not. in the stakeholders. Members of Congress have worked very hard to reach a negotiated compromise that would supersede the CRB decision and preserve the continued viability of Internet radio. I particularly want to commend Representative BERMAN for his work in bringing the parties together. They were very far apart. and his personal attention to this has been a. key element for this progress. This act buys some time for the negotiations to continue. removes the statutory impediment to implementation of a negotiated compromise. and I am very hopeful that we will achieve what we wish. The alternative to this legislation would be a courtimposed solution that would drive many of the newest and most promising innovators like Pandora. located in Alameda County. out of the marketplace. Its not just the providers of content. its the American public. indeed the world. that is able to use the digital world for access to content. We dont want. any of us. to stand in the way of that. I just want to take a minute here. because this may be the last time that I have an opportunity to work on a bill on this floor with Congressman OANNON. who will not be returning to the 111th Congress. I just want to say. if you look at Congressman CANNONS record and mine. you will find very different records. one of the most conservative Members of Congress. and I am not. But I will say that working with Congressman CANNON is a tremendous honor. because he is a very smart guy and he is very focused. There are never any games working with him. Its always what can he see thats in the publics interest. When you can work with someone like that. even though its a conservative and a nonconservative. you can make progress. Its just been an honor to work with Congressman CANNON. He has served his district. his State and his country with tremendous distinction. I just want to thank him for all he has done. I know he will have many other things to contribute in the private sector. but its really been an honor to work with him.
Date: 2008-09-29
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I reluctantly rise today to express concerns about the current economic crisis and the proposed financial recovery package. For several years I ave been concerned about the road our economy was heading down. In June 2005 at a Joint Economic Committee hearing I asked then Federal Reserve Chairman Allen Greenspan about the dangers of the housing bubble. And he responded that there was no "substantial" threat of a housing bubble and that even if home prices were to decline they were "not likely to have substantial macroeconomic implications." Unfortunately. he was wrong. If the severity of the financial situation had been acted on back in 2005. or even 1 year ago. I think we would be in a better situation today. However. instead of pro actively addressing this brewing financial crisis. as recently as April 2008 the goal of this Administration was to reduce regulation with the expectation that "marketdiscipline" will be the ultimate regulator. Well. we have learned that there is no "marketdiscipline" without regulation and without the threat that people and I companies will have to pay for the mistakes they made. And so today we are considering a financial recovery package to save the financial industry from its mistakes. a package that is paid for with tax dollars earned by hardworking Americans. My constituents in Orange County. CA. are asking me: Where was the Government to save my house from foreclosure last year? Where was the Government to save my neighborhood when half the houses on my block were foreclosed on? Unfortunately the Government was not there to help my constituents and the millions of Americans that have lost their homes. Since the Bush administration requested a $700 billion blank check from Congress and the American people. our leadership in Congress has worked very hard to negotiate a more responsible package. The recovery package on the floor reflects a big improvement over the original BushPaulson plan. I am pleased that this package includes safeguards to protect any taxpayer investment in saving the financial industry. These safeguards include: Warrants from financial institutions that receive assistance so the Government can recover the taxpayers money once the financial industry recovers. an insurance program funded by the financial industry to guarantee troubled assets and protect taxpayers. and a plan to charge the financial industry fees to recoup the taxpayers investment if there are still losses after 5 years. However. this package does not do enough to help the average American keep their home. and to ensure that the Wall Street executives that got us into this mess dont walk away with millions of dollars.
Date: 2008-10-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Speaker be authorized to entertain motions to suspend the rules on the legislative day of Thursday. October 2. 2008. relating to the following measures: S. 3197. S. 3641. and H.R. 7221.
Date: 2008-10-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this bill. It is obviously important that we make sure that any of our armed servicemembers who have suffered a financial loss because of their service have access to relief through the bankruptcy courts. Thats the least we can do to assist these fine men and women. But I rise also to say that there are other things that are not yet before us in the bankruptcy arena that we. I believe. are gaining some bipartisan support for. Many of us have expressed concern that lacking in the recovery package that we will be voting on tomorrow is any provision that deals with the primary mortgage. mortgage on a primary residence. that might be one of many tools to deal with the underlying crisis that has created this worldwide economic instability. I would have preferred that such a measure be in the recovery package. but it is not essential that the measure be part of the package. It is possible to move such a measure separately.
Date: 2008-10-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I wonder. I did yield. but we have other speakers. So I wonder ifand we can have this further discussionbut whether on the mortgage. primary residence mortgage issue. you think there is further opportunity to make progress between Republicans and Democrats. conservatives. and nonconservatives?
Date: 2008-10-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I will do so because I dont want to take advantage of the chairmans yielding me unlimited time when there are other speakers. But I would just say in the discussions that we have had that have been very honest and very practicaland I think totally bipartisan. I would even say nonpartisantrying to find common ground in the interest of the American people in this. I have a sense of optimism that we can do something important on the mortgage bankruptcy issue aside from this recovery package that is coming. Having said that. I will yield back to the chairman of the committee. and perhaps Mr. CANNON will use some of his time to further explore this.
Date: 2008-10-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Thank you for yielding. I would just note that in fact in the rescue package there is a provision requiring the Secretary to renegotiate loans and that will actually. I think. be of tremendous value in dealing with the foreclosure crisis that we face when the government owns the whole mortgage. all of the mortgage. But because securities are being purchased because the credit markets are frozen. we wont necessarily own all of the mortgages in every case. And half of the subprimes have second and third mortgages that will be able to defeat any effort to renegotiate. So I think that moving a narrowly crafted. forsubprimeonly primary residence mortgage measure either later in this Congress or early next might be something that could avoid the $2.1 trillion in mortgages that are set to reset and certainly are at risk of default in the next 18 months. I am just stating here today. I think we have an opportunity to accomplish that working across the aisle and working across ideological barriers because really were all in the same place. We want Americans to be safe and secure in their homes. If they are able to meet their obligations. we should go the extra mile to allow them to do that. I just want to say once again how much I have appreciated working with you. Congressman CANNON. over these years. And I said this earlier this week. but if you look at your voting record. youve got one of the most conservative voting records in this Congress. and as I mentioned. I do not. But that has never prevented us from working together to find solutions for the American people. I really think youre a remarkable legislator. someone whom I respect a great deal. and I thank you for your service to our country.
Date: 2008-10-02
Speaker: ZOE LOFGREN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

If I may. I think the Secretary has the authority to acquire all mortgages. We fear that he may not. I frankly think if the Secretaryor his successor. starting in Januarywere to make that a priority. we would solve more of this problem than if it was just done in the natural course of events. I personally believe we need another remedy that I pledge to try and move separately from this package having to do with the bankruptcy primary residence mortgage issue that we have discussed at tremendous length.