macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-25
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. the terrorist who is at this moment leading insurgent attacks against Iraq and cities in Iraq reportedly once said to U.S. soldiers. "I will see you guys in New York." When he said it. he didnt mean he wanted to go to a Broadway show like "Jersey Boys" or "Beautiful." New York has been and continues to be a target for terrorists to attack. It is a towering symbol of all that makes America so exceptional. That is why it is so important for Congress to get the changes that were being made to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act absolutely correct.
Date: 2014-06-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank my colleague and fellow committee member for yielding. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of the managers amendment. I want to thank the gentleman from Colorado and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their hard work. The amendment we offer today is the result of hard. bipartisan work. The original text of H.R. 6 worked to fix a problem at the Department of Energy. The problem was delay. The Department of Energy is responsible for permitting exports to nonfree trade agreement countries. Since 2011. the Department has received approximately 35 permit applications to export liquefied natural gas. Since 2011. only one project has received final approval. EIA estimates that by 2035. the United States will produce 5 trillion cubic feet more than we can consume of natural gas. But in order to export the gas. rather than flare it and harm the environment. projects need permits. The process is not working well. Why has only one project received final approval after 3 years? Why did DOE. just this month. propose changing the process? It is because the process is not working. The managers amendment that I coauthored with my colleague from Colorado acknowledges that DOEs proposed changes are a step in the right direction. The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Date: 2014-06-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank the gentleman. Unfortunately. after 3 years of delay. we need to ensure DOE issues timely decisions. The managers amendment places a 30day timeframe on DOE after the completion of the environmental review process. This amendment is an example of the cooperation and bipartisanship from our committee. And. again. I urge Members to adopt the managers amendment. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. Chris Smith. told a Senate panel last week that he is "confident that whatever the law requires. the department will be able to accomplish." DOE will issue public interest determinations 12to18 months after they receive the application. I am confident that: after 3 years of delay. 12to18 months of environmental review. a 30 day public comment period. and an additional 30 days to review the application that DOE can issue a sound public interest determination.
Date: 2014-06-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I rise in opposition to the current amendment to H.R. 6. The HoltQuigley amendment requires the Secretary of Energy to consider how proposed natural gas exports will affect the domestic natural gas prices. jobs. and manufacturing when making a public interest determination. I rise in opposition to the amendment because it codifies requirements that are already existing in the public interest determination. That is what the Department of Energy. under current law. is supposed to do. and we expect them to do their job. When conducting a public interest determination. the Department of Energy considers economic. geopolitical. national security. and a variety of other issues. The public interest determination is a robust review of all the impacts associated with LNG exports. It would be redundant to require DOE to look at issues they are already considering. Mr. Chairman. I would ask my colleagues to oppose the amendment. I thank my colleague for the time.
Date: 2014-06-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank my colleague for yielding. Mr. Chairman. I represent an area that is a combination of both the customers of the natural gas boom that we have. but also the export opportunities in the States of Texas and Louisiana. We are concerned about running up the price of natural gas because I want it to be used more for electricity production. I have a chemical industry that is in the eastern part of my district that I want to make sure we keep adding those jobs like we are doing so much. I also know that we need to keep those folks drilling in the field. and in south Texas. we are flaring natural gas right now. In North Dakota. we are flaring natural gas. It is not good for the environment. but we need to have consumers for that. and so that is why this legislation is needed. and we will be able to have customers for that. I know. yesterday. I used it in the bill on pipelines. In Texas. we love Blue Bell ice cream. I know the Chairman does. too. Their ads are saying. "We eat all we can. and we sell the rest." Lets use all our natural gas we can in our country at a reasonable price. but what we cant use. lets not waste it. Lets sell it to someone else. and I thank the colleague for the time.
Date: 2014-06-25
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank the gentleman from Colorado for yielding to me again. That 2005 energy bill may have been called BushCheney. but it came out of our Energy and Commerce Committee. and it had 77 Democratic votes when we passed that bill on the House floor.
Date: 2014-06-25
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank you very much. and I look forward to working with you and other Members of Congress to give us the opportunity to have a vote on the resolution.
Date: 2014-06-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I have an amendment at the desk. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Add at the end the following:
Date: 2014-06-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the chairman for his astute reflection on the work that we have done and I have done over the years. I introduced H.R. 70 and H.R. 3710 that dealt with coastal restoration and the utilization of training for our young people and our veterans. So as I conclude and thank the chairman for his acknowledgment. along with the ranking member. of their work on the committee dealing with diversification. the Jackson Lee amendment will help prepare a diverse population of workers from across the country with diverse backgrounds to enter in exciting and rewarding careers in American energy jobs. Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Hispanic Centers of Excellence. Tribal Colleges and Universities. Native AmericanServing Nontribal Institutions. and women colleges and universities will become engaged by a direct pipeline into the Department of the Interior that will foster collaboration. mentorships. and partnerships through effective job training that will yield employment opportunities. The Department of the Interior will be responsible for fostering diversity in management. employment. and business activities. It will be the light at the end of the tunnel creating a pathway for the 800.000 jobs. Mr. Chairman. at this time. I would like to put into the RECORD the Employment Outlook for African Americans and Latinos In the Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Industry. [An IHS Report. Nov. 2012]
Date: 2014-06-26
Speaker: BEN RAY LUJAN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Speaker. 1 year ago tomorrow. the Senate passed bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform. Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass a bill that is good for our economy. strengthens our security. and recognizes the contributions that immigrants make to our country. This bill represents a good faith compromise by our Senate colleagues to find common ground. Over the past year. House Republicans failed to even bring an immigration bill up for a vote. Earlier this year. Republican leadership outlined their principles for immigration reform. yet failed to introduce a bill based on these principles. They have claimed they want to pass reform. but their actions fail to match the rhetoric. Instead of bringing up comprehensive legislation that spurs economic growth and lowers the deficit. we have seen attacks on DREAMers and excuses for inaction. Mr. Speaker. Democrats and Republicans in the Senate have acted. Democrats in the House support reform and have also introduced a bill. A broad coalitionfrom the hightech sector to law enforcement. the faith community to agriculturebacks reform. The American people overwhelmingly favor a comprehensive bill. The only ones standing in the way are House Republicans. It is time to do what is right for our country and bring comprehensive immigration reform up for a vote now.
Date: 2014-06-26
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to raise the attention of my colleagues to several moments. First. I would like to celebrate the passage of my amendment that just passed in legislation H.R. 4899. to create a job training and employment department or section in the Department of the Interior for veterans. minorities. and women. With 800.000 jobs on the horizon in the energy industry. this is an American job creator. I am excited about that amendment. With sadness. Mr. Speaker. I rise to support my colleague. Congresswoman WILSON. We joined each other in a delegation to Nigeria. meeting with girls who had escaped from Boko Haram. and in the backdrop of the tragedy of the bombing of a mall and killing more people. it is time for Boko Haram to be stopped and the girls to be brought back. Finally. Mr. Speaker. as I go down to the valley in Texas to address the question of those desperate childrenthis humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied childrenwe introduced legislation today to create 70 more immigration judges. so that they can be addressed. This is a crisis which America is dealing with. and we should recognize it as a humanitarian crisis. Finally. let me say. Mr. Speaker. bring the girls back in Nigeria. Help the children that are coming across our border. Let us have a heart when it comes to children.
Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 1528. the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act. This bipartisan legislation will permit veterinarians to treat animals in the most appropriate setting. This is particularly important for veterinarians when responding to emergencies. treating livestock and wildlife. or working in rural areas. H.R. 1528 amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow veterinarians to legally carry and administer controlled substances in States in which they are licensed so they can provide care at the location of the animal patient. The Senate unanimously passed a companion bill. and I am pleased the House is voting on this important legislation. Veterinarians must be able to legally provide complete veterinary care in a way that best protects animal welfare and public safety. I would like to thank the sponsors. both Representative KURT SCHRADER and TED YOHO. I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman UPTON. Chairman PITTS. Ranking Member WAXMAN. Ranking Member PALLONE. and the work of the committees staff in advancing this bill through the Energy and Commerce Committee and bringing it to the floor today. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1528. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. we have no other speakers. and we are prepared to close. I urge passage of the bill. and I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee. I rise in strong support to H.R. 4653. U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2014. I support this bipartisan legislation which reauthorizes the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for five years. First created in 1998. USCIRF is an independent. bipartisan Federal government commission that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad. reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations based on international standards and makes policy recommendations to the President. the Secretary of State and Congress. Mr. Speaker. if we are going to have religious freedom then it is important that we protect it. Everywhere we look. the choice of worship is being challenged. For example. we are reminded that significant threats to religious freedom persist across the globe. In Iraq the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is gaining territory in Iraq and threatening the very existence of ancient faith communities in the region. In addition to the crisis in Iraq. religious minorities are marginalized and imperiled in Egypt and Syria. the government of Vietnam severely restricts religious activities of all faiths. as does the government of China. and religious minorities such as the Ahmadiyya Muslims face governmental and social harassment in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Since its inception. USCIRF has been an invaluable watchdog for global religious freedom conditions. USCIRF commissioners are routinely called upon to testify before Congress and provide expert policy recommendations on how to most effectively advance this fundamental human right in U.S. foreign policy. Religious freedom is Americas first freedom. part of its history and identity as a nation. It also is a core human right recognized by international law and treaty. a necessary component of U.S. foreign policy and Americas commitment to defending democracy and freedom globally. and a vital element of national security. critical to ensuring a more peaceful. prosperous. and stable world. USCIRF champions this issue both at home and abroad and its voice is needed as much today as it has ever been. I urge you to join me in cosponsoring this bipartisan legislation to reauthorize USCIRF.
Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEES (democrat)
Chamber: H

bill on this topic also. and it was very carefully crafted after numerous consultations with the Department of Homeland Security. the airline industry. and. again. Members from both sides of the aisle. It really sets the contours for future preclearance operations which incorporate a series of notifications and certifications. including a justification that outlines the homeland security benefit and impact to domestic staffing and wait times that any new preclearance operations would have. Moreover. Mr. Speaker. this bill requires Congress to be notified in the event that the Department of Homeland Security modifies or changes an existing agreement. I certainly want to be clear that the House Homeland Security Committee supports preclearance where it makes sense. Preclearance. of course. has been around as a security screening and trade facilitation tool since the early 1950s actually. and since 9111. the security value of these operations has only been heightened. However. this bill makes it absolutely clear that the Department of Homeland Security cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. I would also like to just thank Chairman CAMP of the Ways and Means Committee. who helped work with us with the Homeland Security Committee to get this bill to the floor today. Again. I certainly want to thank Mr. MEEHAN and other Members who have worked hard to make sure that the American airlines are not negatively impacted by future preclearance operations overseas.
Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Ranking Member of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee. I rise in support of H.R. 3488. the "Preclearance Authorization Act of 2014." The legislation before the House today is the product of regular order. having been considered and approved by the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security in May and the Full Committee on Homeland Security in June. H.R. 3488 stipulates the conditions under which the Secretary of Homeland Security may establish and conduct preclearance operations. It is imperative that as we seek to "push out our Nations borders" through preclearance and other programs. we do so in a riskbased manner that is mindful of impacts to our economy and the traveling public. That guiding principle is what prompted me to introduce legislation last November. H.R. 3575. the "Putting Security First in Preclearance Act." I am pleased that several of the provisions and policy goals contained in my legislation have been incorporated into the bill before the House today. During subcommittee consideration of H.R. 3488. I offered two amendments that were adopted. The first amendment requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to report to Congress on the anticipated homeland security benefits associated with establishing preclearance operations at a foreign airport. As the Department of Homeland Security seeks to expand preclearance operations to potentially highrisk airports around the world. we should have a full understanding of the homeland security benefits associated with opening such facilities. My second amendment. also adopted during subcommittee consideration of the bill. requires that any country seeking to enter into a preclearance agreement with the United States submit lost and stolen passport information to INTERPOL or another source that is searchable by the United States. The tragic loss of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 in March brought into focus a number of vulnerabilities in the international aviation arena. not the least of which is gaps related to lost and stolen passports. On April 4th. the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security held a hearing on the vulnerabilities of passport fraud. One of the major takeaways from that hearing was the need for more countries to regularly submit information about lost and stolen passports to INTERPOL. The provision in H.R. 3488 requiring countries seeking to open Preclearance facilities to submit information on lost and stolen passports to INTERPOL will serve as an impetus for bringing wouldbe international partners into the fold and make the INTERPOL database more complete. Enactment of H.R. 3488 will ensure greater Congressional oversight of the process associated with commencing preclearance operations and ensure the economic interest of U.S. airlines are considered when new Preclearance facilities are contemplated. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of H.R. 3488.
Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania. and I thank him for working with me on H.R. 4007. I rise in support of H.R. 4007. the CFATS Authorization and Accountability Act. legislation I introduced with Congressman MEEHAN and my friend Chairman MCCAUL. This bipartisan legislation would. for the first time. codify the Chemical Facility AntiTerrorism Standards program that DHS has been operating through appropriations funding since Last October. during the government shutdown. the American people saw that without authorization of the CFATS program there would be no legal binding regulations in place to protect our Nations chemical facilities from criminal and terrorist attacks once the appropriations expired. I have the honor of representing north and east Harris County and the Houston Ship Channel. at the heart of our Nations petrochemical industry. The expiration of the CFATS program puts the safety of my constituents who work in and live in the communities that surround these facilities in danger. and it is our obligation as the peoples elected representatives to do everything we can to protect them from harms way. I have heard the concern of those on my side of the aisle who do not support this legislation. I agree that this is not perfect legislation. It does not solve every problem that exists in the CFATS program. but a number of Congresses since 2007 have had the opportunity to do this but we havent. The main purpose of this bill is to reauthorize CFATS for 3 years and give Congress the opportunity to oversee DHS progress or lack thereof. This bill will solve the personnel surety issue by allowing workers who have TWIC or HME cards to have access to chemical facilities without having to get another Federal credential. Representing those plants. I saw what happened with the TWIC card and the concern of folks who have to pay more money for another Federal ID card. This bill. if passed. would protect the folks who work in those plants. That is important to my constituents who already have TWIC cards and work in the petrochemical plants and drive the trucks that deliver the raw materials and products they produce. I urge my colleagues to join the Homeland Security Committee. which passed this legislation by voice vote. and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. who has been vocal in support of the legislation. and vote in support of H.R. 4007.
Date: 2014-07-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee. I rise in support of H.R. 4263. "The Social Media Working Group Act of 2014." would establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a social media working group. The Social Media Working Group would provide guidance and best practices to the emergency preparedness and response community on the use of social media technologies before. during. and after a terrorist attack. Today. people are relying more on Internet enabled communications to engage and be engaged in communications. Since September 11. 2001. our nation has committed resources toward the preparation of our first responders and citizens in preventing. mitigating and responding to terrorist events. As these efforts continue. we must keep up with the times. Part of that requires that Congress makes sure that the Department of Homeland Security and especially the Federal Emergency Management Agency can engage citizens in ways that they receive and send information. In 2012. smartphones. most particularly phones running Apple Computers iOS and the open source Android operating system. accounted for at least 40 percent of the mobile devices used in the United States. In the first quarter of 2012. mobile phone consumers spent over $109 billion. while consumers of landlinetelephone service spent $64.4 billion. The Federal Communication Commission reports that this trend is expected accelerate as United States consumers participate in a worldwide trend towards mobile communication devices and away from traditional means of receiving and sending information. Electronic tablet computers and ereaders. the other fully enabled portable Internet devices. smartphones are increasingly a resource for people to access information. share content. and communicate their views. Social media is quickly emerging as a major source of information that citizens rely upon to receive news and engage government. The number of people using social networking sites has nearly doubled since 2008. In a 2011. a Pew Internet Center Research Project reported that 79 percent of American adults said they used the Internet and 59 percent of all Internet users say they use at least one of social networking service. such as Facebook. Twitter. Linkedln or Instagram. The reasons for supporting this bill are obvious and I ask my colleagues in the House to vote for its passage.