macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1987-06-26
Speaker: DAN CAPRIA (republican)
Chamber: S

Cannon House Office Building. Washington. DC. President Ceausescu of Romania has brought the country to a disastrous situation. economically. politically and spiritually. The Most Favored Nation Clause given to Romania in 1975 has been a good leverage to help some of the most distressed and persecuted people of Ceausescus regime. But the shrewd Romanian dictator seems to outplay us. Each year. in the spring. just prior to the renewal of the status. he makes a few improvements in the field of human rights. like releasing a few prisoners or allowing two or three churches to be rebuilt (after his people demolished them) and with these "signs of liberalization" he wins the Clause again. It seems that he cannot believe that it would ever be cancelled. And it seems that he is always right about this. A clear sign has to be given to Ceausescu from Washington that he cannot fool the West forever. While a complete cancellation of the Most Favored Nation Clause to Romania would be a further economic disaster on a terribly distressed nation. a temporary suspension as proposed by Congressman Wolf is the clear sign that it is time for Ceausescu to take the American administration seriously. That is why we support the Wolf Amendment to HR 3. the Omnibus Trade Bill for JOSEF TsoN. RMS. President.
Date: 1987-06-30
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. several articles have been written by a nationally acclaimed economist. Warren Brooke& Mr. Brookes. a nationally syndicated columnist. is also a leading proponent of Reaganomics and is acknowledged as an accurate forecaster of our national economy. It is with great pleasure I rise to statistically refute enormous charges of poverty growth by my colleague fromOhio.
Date: 1987-07-01
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I know that everyone is aware of the recent situation regarding out national security interests being violated by two companies. one in Japan and one in Norway. This amendment is simple in its impact and sweeping In its scope. It simply says that the three DepartmentsCommerce. Justice. and Stateacting jointly. shall assure that no products or services of the two companies in question shall be permitted to be imported Into the United States or its territories with the exception of those contracts already negotiated as of today. July 1. 1987. I think that the situation is serious enough. The Senate took action last night on language very similar to this. a 2year restriction. the same kind of action. It is a very modest gesture to show I think the irate conscience and indignation that this country feels. if not downright anger. about the conscienceless and purposeless greedy acts of these two companies in working together. whether intentionally or otherwise. to destroy the national security of the United States and possibly cost American lives. Mr. Chairman. I ask support for this amendment.
Date: 1987-07-01
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I understand the gentlemans point. and I appreciate from where he is coming. I would hope that his position would be as pure as his logic. However. the problem is that this bill already contains several items. several amendments. that have the same problem. and yet they are contained in the bill. This is an Item of immediate interest to the. national concern and to our national security. I would hope that the Chair would see fit to rule against the point of order.
Date: 1987-07-01
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the fact that everyone is under a time bind. I wish to inform the body that I had originally Intended to offer an amendment which I think is very important to national awareness and the security of this body regarding the Toshiba/ Kongsberg Corp. involvement in selling American secret technology to the Soviets. But being well aware of the political pressure and particularly the time element tonight. I simply wish to serve notice that I will not fight the motion to rise but will instead announce my intention to attach this amendment wherever possible to all appropriate appropriations bills In the future.
Date: 1987-07-08
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I support the Presidents goals to: Help our moderate Arab friends defend themselves. Improve the chances for peace by standing up to Irans policy of intimidation. End the IranIraq war in a just manner. Limit expansion of Soviet presence and influence. and Preserve the free flow of oil to the. free world. According to the U.S. energy association. Middle East countries have about. 66. percent of the worlds oil reserves. compared to the United States 5 percent. According to the Georgetown Center for Strategic and International Studies. Middle Eastern reserves are adequate to meet current production levels for at least 100 years. compared to the 9 years estimated for the United States. With this dependence comes a risk of supply disruptions that are damaging to our economic wellbeing and national security. We felt the impact of our dependence during the ArabIsraeli War in 1973 and the civil disturbances in Iran in 1979" endless gas lines. gas shortages and rationing. increased energy prices. and double digit inflation. The same economic destruction affected other parts of the free world. This economic instability weakened our credibility as the principal force for peace in the world. We were captives of the oil producing Middle Eastern regimes. Because of the integrated nature of the world oil market. U.S. energy security is inseparable from that of our allies. Even if oil supply was disrupted in a producing country that did not export oil to the United States. the oil market would redirect some supplies of nondisrupted oil away from the United States. Oil prices would rise dramatically throughout the world as the supplies would dry up. . Therefore. so long as other countries in the free world are vulnerable to supply disruptions. .the United States is also at risk. I will not stand by and watch the Iranians dictate the use of the vital sea lanes of the Persian Gulf. I will not stand by and watch the gulf come under the control of the Soviet Union. The alternative is to allow our enemies to perceive in us a lack of resolve and strength. This lack of resolve would only encourage those who use the flow of oil as a weapon to cause the American people hardship at home and incapacitate us abroad.
Date: 1987-07-13
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I hope that Congress catches up with the people of the United States. I rise in strong support of the Durbin amendment. Standing before you is a victim of other peoples smoke. I had classic cancer. smokers cancer. six times. I have a 16inch scar. a 14hour operation. It is not a pleasant experience to go through. but I know. and all my surgeons agree. that I caught cancer through other peoples smoke. I tell you tonight. the best thing you can do. because the people of America are already doing it. is to follow the leaders out there. Now. you may defeat this on this .day. but it is coming and its time is due. We must have no smoking at all some day in airplanes. but I will settle for 2 hours now.
Date: 1987-07-23
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I am always in wonderment at my squishysoft friends on the left who cannot recognize communism in Nicaragua. who cannot recognize communism in Cuba. who cannot recognize communism in Grenada. and who apparently cannot recognize terrorism in El Salvador. Are they just soft in the head. or do they really believe that communism will go away if we put mere economic pressure on them. when the economic pressure of the Soviets is four timesthat of our assistance to legitimate democratic governments in Central America? If you believe what the Communists put out. if you repeat it here on the floor of the Congress. that does not make it true. You were wrong on El Salvador. you were wrong on Cuba. you were wrong on Grenada. and you are terribly. terribly wrong to support the Communists in Nicaragua instead of the antiCommunist freedom fighters.
Date: 1987-07-23
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I feel I have been attacked in my remarks. I would like to respond to the gentlemans remarks. very briefly.
Date: 1987-07-23
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

I would object. Mr. Speaker. to the gentlemans remarks because he addressed himself in response to my remarks. and if you would read my remarks. I did not suggest that all the information came as he suggested.
Date: 1987-07-28
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. this amnesty for ilegal El Salvadoran refugees: is a dangerous policy that could threaten our national security. I would like to submit an article from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle which discusses one of these El Salvadorans and his hearing for asylum. At the hearing it was revealed that this man had been to Communist Cuba and had received training in small arms. machine guns and. grenades. He was also a member of the Communist Party. Not only did he travel to Cuba. but the Cubans paid for his trip to Communist Czechslovakia. This is one of these El Salvadorans that could possibly come under this bill. How many more people like Alejandro Gomez are we going to allow to wander into America and stop from being deported
Date: 1987-08-03
Speaker: BEN GRLMAN (republican)
Chamber: H

always helpful on veterans programs. and to the gentleman from Pennsylvania. Mr. Boa WALKER. to come to our committee and present this problem. We are very glad that we are able to help the gentleman from Pennyslvania. Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker. I would like to say that we are very proud of these national cemeteries. They are around the world. They are in this country. They are overseas. Recently we went to Corregidor in the Philippines. We did visit while we were there. the national cemetery where 17.000 Americans are buried there. I would hope as our colleagues travel around the country and around the world that they would visit these great cemeteries. That is the least we can do is honor those who gave the supreme sacrifice and gave their lives. We were impressed with what we saw. The cemeteries are well maintained and we can all be proud of the way our Nation honors those individuals buried there who died defending freedom. This bill will assure that the standard of care given our national cemeteries in this country and throughout the World will be maintained in the years to come. I urge the adoption of the bill.
Date: 1987-09-30
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. just 2 weeks ago the antiCommunist forces of UNITA turned .back the biggest offensive to .date of the CubanSoviet soldiers in .Angola. Their victory surprised. and overwhelmed the .CubanSoviet forces. Hundreds of Communist soldiers were killed and millions of dollars worth of Soviet military equipment was destroyed. Let me tell you what odds the forces for democracy in Angola has to overcome to achieve this victory: The Soviet Union pours more. almost twice as much. military aid into Angola as they do into Afghanistanover $1 billion. The Cubans. by imposing a massive draft on their people. have forced over 20.000 young Cuban men to go to Africa to lose their lives in an effort to keep the Angolans enslaved. UNITA had to survive for 10 years without any international aid. During that time the prodemocratic forces not only survived but grew. Let this be a lesson to America. Those forces for freedom around the world can be successful if we will only give them the chance. Madam Speaker. I include for the RECORD the article from the Washington Times on September 30. 1987. entitled "Rebels Crush Major Attack by Cubanled Angola Forces."
Date: 1987-10-07
Speaker: CHARLES Z. WICK (republican)
Chamber: S

Director. U.S. Information Agency. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. WICK: I am writing again to express my concerns about Voice of Americas Slovenian broadcast program. I have always been interested in ensuring that this program be continued. However. it has been brought to my attention that although the Slovenian program remains on the VOA broadcast schedule. it has beendesignated a low priority on the USIAVOA language priority list. I would like to see this priority changed to make this program a permanent part of your broadcast programming. The Slovenian program cannot be continually embroiled in a competition with other low priority language services. I am concerned with the longterm future of this programmingit would be a great tragedy if the Slovenian broadcasts were to be forcedoff of the VOA program list. Voice of America represents our nations voice of freedom to oppressed countries all over the world. and the Slovenian language program reaches countless listeners in Eastern Europe who hunger for freedom and liberty. I will continue to strongly oppose any curtailment of VOAs Slovenian broadcasts. and I will appreciate your keeping me abreast of any further developments where this program is concerned. Thank you for your continued attention to this matter. Very sincerely yours.
Date: 1987-11-04
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. we are all hopeful for evidence of democratization in Nicaragua under the peace accord signed In Guatemala. As signatories. the Sandinistas support for the principles of those accords ought to be clear and unequivocal. We should be concerned when Sandinista Commandante Bayardo Arce attacked the internal opposition in the official Sandinista Newspaper Barricada on October20. Arce said that the Freedom Fighters had committed a grave error in believing the national dialog was a forum of equals. and stated that there was no alternative to Sandinista rule in Nicaragua. Members will recall that this is the same commandante who said in 1984 that elections were a ploy for consolidating MarxistLeninist rule. Mr. Speaker. we should all be concerned about the sincerity of Sandinista pronouncements on the democratization of Nicaragua.
Date: 1987-11-17
Speaker: FRED WERTHEIMER (republican)
Chamber: H

President. Common Cause. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. WERTHEIMER: I am in receipt of your letter of November 13 in opposition to H.R. 3400. legislation to permit federal workers to engage in off duty political activities. I am not writing to respond to the arguments in your letter. Rather. I am writing because I cannot understand your sudden shift in position. As Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Civil Service. I wrote you on April 31. 1987. to invite Common Cause to testify at our May hearings. Kathleen Sheeky told the subcommittee staff that Common Cause would not testify and had no position on the issue. At no time during the hearing or markup process did Common Cause comment. At no time did Common Cause propose amendments. Yet. now you complain about floor procedures limiting amendments. Frankly. I had come to expect better of Common Cause. With kind regards. Sincerely yours.
Date: 1987-12-02
Speaker: EDWARD PORTER (republican)
Chamber: H

who is the cochairman of the Human Rights Caucus and an ardent and committed advocate for human rights all around the world. The gentleman from Illinois could not be here this evening to participate in this special order. but will submit for the RECORD a statement that supports our efforts to continue the struggle to make sure that all of those families that wish to leave the Soviet Union will someday be allowed to do that. Mr. Speaker. I want to call on someone who joined Congressman PORTER and I as principal sponsors this year of the fifth annual vigil. and although a freshman Member of Congress. someone who already has developed an outstanding record when It comes to human rights questions. I want to commend my colleague. the gentlewoman from Maryland . and call on her now to make a statement.
Date: 1987-12-10
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I havethe unusual position today of offering an amendment that has the support of the administration on this foreignaid bill. H.R. 3100. The purpose of my amendment is simply to strike language providing a debt moratorium for African nations. The cost of the moratorium. by our figures. verified by the Department of Treasury. could be as much as $396 million. almost as much as is provided for the continent of Africa in the entire funding year. Colleagues of the House. this provision can cost us. the American taxpayer. the American farmer and the working man and woman almost $400 million In the outyears. It is not the cost of the first year that is of concern. it Is the cost of the additional 5 years after the first. Very briefly. countries should be given a 5year grace period. The U.S. Congress should not be in the position of forgiving debts for foreign countries while farmers and working people are still paying off their debts. and in some cases losing their property. The bill as currently constructed. without this amendment. would actually forbid a country to repay a debt if it decided to repay its debt to the United States with American aid money. That is to say. if a country decided that the best use for their aid money was to show that it was an honest nation by repaying its debt to the American people. the bill. as constructed. forbids its doing so. Fourth. it is a dangerous precedent. Countries all over the world are clamoring for their debts to be forgiven for a period. We simply cannot afford to set a precedent like this more than what we have already done. Fifth. delaying repayment sends the wrong message to the people who owe the money to this countrys people and our Government. Sixth and finally. the provision of the bill sets a standard by which countries should be judged to decide If they are eligible for the debt moratorium. but sets It so low that virtually any country is qualified. Please join me in voting for this very sensible and moneysaving amendment to H.R. 3100. Mr. Chairman. I retain the balance of my time.
Date: 1987-12-10
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I have not yielded back my time. but I was trying to speed up the process because I know members of the committee have heard enough on the bill and are ready to vote on certain amendments. and certainly our committee has gone through this several times. I am willing to speed up the process but I do not wish to lose my time by being considerate enough to yield.
Date: 1987-12-10
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

In that case. I will consume all of my time. Mr. Chairman. and I thank the gentleman. It was confirmed in committee testimony that the potential cost of a debt moratorium would be $396 million. I received a document from the Department of the Treasury that confirms that amount. Each year the United States should receive about $80 million in revenue from African nations repaying their loans. This provision of the bill could wipe this revenue out unless we pass this amendment. This provision of the bill will add significantly to the cost of the entire African aid program unnecessarily. because we are under GrammRudman and these funds must be subtracted somewhere else. This cost is spent over the life of the loan. but the dollar amount is almost as much as the entire total of the aid program for Africa this year. The countries are given a 5year grace period. thus. we are in a position of forgiving foreign debts for foreign countries while farmers in my district and the districts of other Members must pay their debts. and in some cases are losing their farms and property. We would set a dangerous precedent. Countries all over the world are really now clamoring for their debts to be forgiven for this years period. We cannot afford to set a precedent like this. in my opinion. in the United States. especially In the continent of Africa where it could cost us a third of a billion dollars. This Idea should be considered in context of a world loaded with big debtors like those of Latin America and other countries. We are opening a Pandoras box unless we strike this provision. My amendment strikes this provision. The countries which have done the least to reform their economies are rewarded the most by this legislation. In fact. adoption of free market policies would allow a country to repay its debts and better the standard of living of its people. This provision. as it stands without my amendment. would give no country any incentive to reform. The provision of the bill currently sets a loan repayment schedule so low that virtually every nation in the world qualifies. The only reason to ever reschedule a debt is if that country shows strong improvement which would lead to later repayment. I repeat. if you wish to save the American taxpayers and our Government almost $400 million in the next 5 years. especially in the stretchout years. my amendment makes sense. I would hope for bipartisan support of this proposal. ".. H11143
Date: 1987-12-10
Speaker: DONALD E. LUKENS (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. the purpose of this amendment is to strike language waiving the Brooks amendment to the SADCC nations of Southwest Africa. The Brooks amendment. section 620(q) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 would remain in effect. The Brooks amendment suspends additional aid to countries which have not paid their current debts to the United States The Brooks amendment has made the United States a preferential lender. Debts to us are paid first because countries know if they do not pay. they put future foreign credit at risk. The Brooks amendment is working. Only four countries are currently under the Brooks amendment provisions: Benin. Ethiopia. Liberia. and Tanzania. Under this provision of the bill. Tanzania would be given more aid despite not having paid back its loans. Ironically. the Brooks provisions are likely to be lifted for Tanzania soon because Tanzania is making the needed reforms. Without this leverage. Tanzania will have no reason to reform. The most immediate beneficiary. Tanzania. of a Brooks waiver has prob-