macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1981-06-17
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

The Budget Committee is helpless because it cannot eliminate one sentence from the bills sent to the Budget Committee by the authorizing committees for inclusion in the reconciliation bill. It has to include everything they send. If they send the death penalty. which I support. if they send antibusing legislation. which I support. or anything else they send. as long as the nonbudgetary legislation does not make up the preponderance of the reconciliation bill. no point of order would lie against it. according to the Chair. and if the majority In a given situation has the votes. the Chair can be overruled even if the Chair would rule that a point of order would lie. So it is a very dangerous process. I say that those of us who may favor these pieces of legislation I have enumerated would certainly be illserved if we allowed this process to go unchecked because it would mean that legislation we do not favor could also be cnacted. and we would then be gagged and bound. and we could not even kick and scream.
Date: 1981-06-17
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I call attention to the fact that the Senator from Vermont was repeatedly seeking recognition. I would hope that the Chair would recognize Members on this side of the aisle when they clearly seek recognition. Under the rule the first Senator to seek recognition Is to be recognized. Of course. it is within the discretion of the Chair and there is no appeal from the Chairs decision. I hope the Chair will be fair in the recognition of all Senators. I thank the distinguished Senator from Kansas for yielding.
Date: 1981-06-17
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

I have been the foremost defender of the minority In the matter of fairness and being recognized by the Chair. I say it will cause division and strife and great difficulty in this body if the minority feel that the Chair is not being fair in recognizing members of the minority. I thank the Senator for yielding.
Date: 1981-06-17
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I shall have to say if the rollcall vote is not begun virtually immediately on Calendar Order No. 101. I cannot agree to taking it up tonight.
Date: 1981-06-17
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I was somewhat disappointed with the criticisms that President Reagan leveled at the Congress in his press conference yesterday. Let us give credit where credit is due. This Congress has acted with great dispatch on. the Presidents proposals. It has been delivering highly complicated and very major legislation at an astonishing speed. And the main thrust of the legislation which has emerged. and is emerging. is giving the President what he wants. These measures are fundamentally altering programs and policies which have been: built. by Democratic and Republican administrations alike. over several decades. They cannot be revised overnight. Yet. the committees of both Houses are to be congratulated for the tremendous urgency and speed with which they have examined and marked up the various proposals submitted by this administration. The American people expect us to do our job. There is a reason the framers of our system. of government separated and balanced the powers of the three branches of Government. If Congress is stampeded into thoughtlessly embracing everything that comes to it from the executive branch. mistakes will be made and great damage can be done. We have worked in a spirit of comity with this President and we will continue to do so. But comity and respect have got to be a twoway street.. Let us briefly review the record of this Congress so far. Both Houses of Congress have already passed budget resolutions which ordered committees to cut $36 billion in spending next year and some $140 billion over the next 3 years. The committees have produced followup reconciliation tuts in programs which will be on the floor of the Senate next week and on the floor of the House shortly. We have approached this process in a highly constructive and responsive way. The cuts do not mirror image the Presidents proposals entirely. but they give him most of what he has asked for. We are hard at work on the Presidents tax cut proposals. The American people
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. reserving the right to object. will the Senator include in his order 15 minutes for the junior Senator from West Virginia?
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: JOHN L. BURTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. we could spend some time going over the flawed language of the amendment. I did not know that the Legal Aid Society promotes homosexuality. I do not know if they promote anything. I think all they are is attor. neys trying to act under the law. but as I said last year. this is about the most outrageous amendment that has ever been brought before the House of Representatives. We are telling a group of American people who are taxpayers. who have a lifestyle that people do not necessarily agree with. both within the Congress and without the Congress. that they are not really American citizens entitled to protection under the law. Now. this bill is funded with American taxpayers dollars. In the district that I represent. a great number of the small businesses. a great number of the restaurants. a great number of the boutiques. a great number of the barbershops and beauty shops are operated and owned by gay individuals. who pay more taxes than many of the people sitting in this body and who are responsible citizens in their community as any of us sitting in this body. We are saying to them that we will take your taxes. regardless of your sexual preference. but if there is a gay person who needs legal aid. we are not going to take care of them. Well. I think this amendment is flawed in one basic way. We should say that anybody who has a sexual preference that is not heterosexual does not have to pay taxes that go to fund the Legal Services Corporation and maybe we will have some equity. It is an outrage to the citizens of my community that I represent. It is an outrage to the straight people in the community that I represent. because we have learned that gay people fal into the same category as straight people. Some of them are jerks and some of them are not. That is the definition. It is no different than the color of their hair. To single out this group is very politically popular for some. Or after all. some are saying that it is a sin to have this type of sexual preference where you can find some terms in the Bible that relate to the fact that I guess some of the people in the Bible might have sinned. I just do not think it is fair. It is not right. It is unconscionable. And. again. the taxpayers in my district who are gayand they are proud to be gayare out of the closets. After an elected official in our city who was gay was shot down and murdered in city hall. there were doctors. lawyers. professors. and even politicians who came out of the closet to proclaim their sexual preference. because they thought it was time to rid themselves of whatever guilt they were holding within by hiding in the closet and to proclaim that they were no different from anybody else when they were out on the street working and paying taxes.
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: JOHN L. BURTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

Well. if I can reclaim my time. I will give the gentleman $1.000 if he can show me under U.S. statutes where having a different sexual preference from yours is a felony and a crimeorganized or disorganized. Some of it is organized.
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: JOHN L. BURTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

We are talking about Federal law here. We do not infringe upon States rights. I am surprised If my friend from Georgia would infringe on States rights.
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: JOHN L. BURTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

Well. now. if the gentleman wants. I will be happy to enter into a little colloquy with him. The gentlemans amendment does not say that a person caught violating a law against. shall we say. sexual acts with a member of the same sex is denied legal aid under this. It says in effect that even if there is a nondiscrimination clause in a community that says you cannot discriminate--
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: JOHN L. BURTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

But if there is a nondiscrimination clause in a city or a State about gay people being able to have access to a restaurant or even to rent a unit. that somehow they are denied the right to have legal representation to enforce a local bona fide ordinance. Now. this does not say you cannot defend somebody who is out in front of the Capitol committing an act of sodomy. It is not limited that way. It is a very broad thing that just lets everybody say it is just a whack at people who happen to have different sexual preferences. In many States now. acts between consenting adults in private is not a crime. In fact. in the State of Virginia it is a crime for a person of the opposite sex to massage a person of the opposite sex. but it is not a crime for a man to massage a man or a woman to massage a woman. and we know what that might lead to. So I think that the States are getting away from making homosexuality per se a crime and they are making certain things like sodomy out on the Capitol steps or acts in public a crime. I think this is a terrible amendment. It is an outrageous amendment. I believe it would be an unconstitutional amendment. I know. as I say. that many of the taxpayers and the business people in my community are gay. If you look throughout the arts. you can find people who have confessed themselves to having a different sexual preference. many of them making salaries in the millions of dollars. and figure out how much taxes they pay. I think it is an insult. and to equate gay people with organized crime just reduces to absurdity. but points out the absurdity of this amendment. I would ask an overwhelmingly no vote. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: PHILLIP BURTON (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I strongly oppose passage of the McDonaid amendment. The amendment would place the House on record as denying full access to the legal system to a specific minority. Further. the vague. illconsidered language of the amendment would allow assults on the rights not only of homosexuals. but of anyone correctly or incorrectly identified as homosexual. This amendment is yet another in a series of malicious attacks on gay citizens throughout the Nation and in my home city of San Francisco.
Date: 1981-06-18
Speaker: SAM B. HALL (democrat)
Chamber: H

I would like to join with my colleague on this committee to recommend to my colleagues that this matter be recommitted to the committees that were indicated. I think it has been discussed adequately on all sides. I think the amendments have been fully discussed. and I would urge that this matter be recommitted.
Date: 1981-06-19
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. if the majority leader will indulge me momentarily. Mr. President. the nominations on the first page of the Executive Calendar and on the second page of the Executive Calendar are cleared throughout. the first and second pages. Mr. President. the nominations under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority are cleared.
Date: 1981-06-19
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. the education of children is one of societys most important responsibilities. and our schools are among the most vital institutions in our country. For those reasons. the calibre. wisdom. and abilities of those who create our educational policies is a crucial matter. I am. therefore. particularly proud to support President Reagans nomination of my fellowWest Virginian. William Collins Clohan. Jr.. as Under Secretary of Education for the Department of Education. For the past 3 years. Mr. Clohan has served as Minority Education Counsel on the staff of the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives. In that role. he became intimately acquainted with Federal educational legislation and procedures. Moreover. he established valuable relationships with educators and educational administrators that will serve him well in his appointed role in the Department of Education. But Mr. Clohans talents and skills go beyond the educational field. After graduating from the Air Force Academy. he was for several years an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Continuing his education at the same time. he earned a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center. Thus. Mr. Clohan will bring to his new duties a wide and accomplished background that will enhance his value as a Federal educational policymaker and administrator. Mr. President. Mr. Clohans father is the mayor of the City of Martinsburg. W. Va.. and is my friend. The President has made a wise choice in appointing Mr. Clohan as Under Secretary. and I strongly urge his confirmation by our Senate colleagues.
Date: 1981-06-19
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I yield now to Mr. FoRD for such time as he may require and then to Mr. PROXMIRE for such time as he may require.
Date: 1981-06-19
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. on this vote. I have a live pair with the distinguished Senator from Ohio . If he were present and voting he would vote "aye." I have already voted in the negative. I. therefore. withdraw my vote.
Date: 1981-06-19
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. reserving the right to object. and I have no objection. I simply wish Senators to be alert to the last request that. namely. Mr. HELMs be recognized when the Senate resumes consideration of the Helms amendment.
Date: 1981-06-19
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. the nominations referred to by the distinguished majority leader have been cleared with the minority and is ready to proceed.
Date: 1981-06-22
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I ask unanimous consent to have printed an article which appeared in thv Washington Post on yesterday. written by Mr. Stuart Eizenstat calling attention to the dangers to the budget process of including in the reconciliation bill legislation which has no budgetary impact but which otherwise would be brought to the floor in the usual course of things and debated and amended in accordance with whatever needs exist. I think it was a good article and touched upon a subject that Senator PROXMIRE spoke on last week and in connection with which I had a few remarks. I recommend it to the attention of my colleagues.
Date: 1981-06-22
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I yield my time to any Senator who wishes to have the time. Mr. President. I yield back the remainder of my time under the special order.
Date: 1981-06-22
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. reserving the right to objectand I shall not objectthis request. I am told by staffat my request to staffhas been cleared with Senator BOREN and the Senators who are in league with him. so that the reduction by halfnamely. to 71/2 minutes for each Senatoris agreeable.
Date: 1981-06-22
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. while the distinguished majority leader is on the subject of special orders for in the morning Is he agreeble to getting an order to the effect that the 1 hour which is to be divided among eight Democratic Senators be under the control of Mr. BOREN?
Date: 1981-06-22
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
Date: 1981-06-22
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. if the reconciliation bill Is adopted in its present form. it will do violence to the budget reform process. The reconcillation measure contains many items which are unrelated to budget savings. This development must be viewed in the most critical light. to preserve the principle of freeand unfettered debate that is the hallmark of the U.S. Senate. The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 is a forwardlooking measure that provides the Congress with the means to discipline itself with respect to Federal spending. Developed by former Senators Muskie and Bellmon. the budget process had been finely tuned by their successors. the distinguished Senator from New Mexico
Date: 1981-06-22
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. I thank the distinguished Senator from South Carolina and commend him on the diligence he has shown in this respect and the concern that he has expressed with regard to the inclusion of the nonbudgetary matters in this bill. He has zealously guarded the integrity of the budget process. I know it Is with great concern that he views what is happening here. I wish to personally express my own gratitude to him for the service he has reiidered. The Senate is in his debt.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr. President. today the Senate Democratic conference endorsed unanimously. with one abstention. a resolution urging that something be done about high Interest rates. the crumbling housing industry. and the financial plight of thrift institutions. This resolution was developed by Senator DAVID BOREN. in cooperation with Senators BENTSEN. TSONGAS. MELCHER.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: ROBERT C. BYRD (democrat)
Chamber: S

Mr President. I do likewise with respect to Mr. HOLLINGS. the ranking member of the Budget Committee. I yield time under my control to him for the time being.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I call up the bill to amend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the authorization for appropriations for fiscal year 1981. and to amend Public Law 93233 to continue. through September 30. 1981. the cashout of food stamp program benefits of certain recipients of supplemental security income. and ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered in the House.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: WILLIAM J. COYNE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed from four bills: H.R. 1430. H.R. 1431. H.R. 1176. and House Concurrent Resolution 92. It is my colleague. Mr. JAMEs K. COYNE. who intended to cosponsor this legislation.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture and the Committee on Ways and Means be discharged from further consideration of the bill to amend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the authorization for appropriations for fiscal year 1981. and to amend Public Law 93233 to continue. through Sep. tember 30. 1981. the cashout of food stamp program benefits of certain recipients of supplemental security income and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I would be very happy to comply with the gentlemans request. I appreciate the gentlemans cooperation in this effort. Mr. Speaker. this extraordinary procedure is being used in order to comply by the Agriculture Committee with a request by the President of the United States and his Director of the Office of Management and Budget relative to the 1981 budget for food stamps and further to continue to allow States to cash out food stamps for the elderly. as is done in this instance by the State of California. The funds have already been appropriated under the supplemental appropriation bill which has been enacted but which had a proviso that it would not be operative until authorizing legislation is approved. This is to comply with that request and that proviso in the supplemental appropriation bill. Furthermore. the urgency is that if this bill is not enacted by July 1: First. the Secretary of Agriculture will have to issue the 30day notices to the States that food stamp recipients benefits will be reduced. and second. the State of California will face on July 1 the termination of the authorization which allows them to handle this cashout peculiar to California. In order to comply with the request of the President and of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. we have taken a procedure which I admit is extraordinary. but nonetheless within the rules of parliamentary procedure in order to comply with those requests.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

The gentleman is correct. If the bill is allowed to be discussed. there will be an hours debate which I intend to divide with the minority for purposes of debate. The gentleman is correct.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

The reason for not bringing the bill up on suspension is that the Democratic Caucus rules have a proviso that if a waiver is given. the bill cannot be brought up for 4 days. and in order not to abridge that rule we have to go the unanimous consent route.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

We have two limitations. The rules of the House have a 3calendarday rule that it must sit for 3 calendar days. The Caucus also has a 3day rule and a 4day rule. I am very happy to report to the gentleman under such circumstances that this was a proviso for the protection of the minority. that if there is any waiver of the $100 million rule that the bill must sit in order to allow the minority sufficient time to peruse the legislation. That is why we ask the indulgence of the minority at this time in order to comply with the requests of our President and our Director of the Office of Management and Budget that we take such extraordinary measures. notwithstanding the Democratic Caucus rule for the protection of the minority.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

It is my understanding that the time that is allowed is solely for discussion and it will be for debate ony.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

The gentleman is correct. Now. there will be an opportunity for a motion to recommit. as always. in legislation of this kind.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

tell us. he made mention of California and the special provision relating to that. The reason that is necessary. the gentleman has stated. is because that right expires on July 1. Second. if we do not continue that provision it will be very expensive for the Federal Treasury. will it not?
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

If the gentleman will yield to me. yes. that is correct. Both the State of California and the Federal Treasury.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

The gentleman is correct. I have a letter from the White House dated June 18. 1981. addressed to the Speaker wherein the President requests this legislation. he sots out therein. that the details of this proposal are set forth in the enclosure. and the enclosure is a letter from the Executive Office of the President. the Office of Management and Budget. the Honorable David A. Stockman. in which he states. and I quote: I have carefully reviewed the proposals contained in this document and am satisfied that these requests are necessary at this time. I recommend. therefore. that these proposals be transmitted to the Congress.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Agriculture be discharged from further consideration of the bill to amend the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to increase the authorization for appropriations for fiscal year 1981. and to amend Public Law 93233 to continue. through August 1. 1981. the cashout of food stamp program benefits of certain recipients of supplemental security income. and ask for its immediate consideration.
Date: 1981-06-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield 30 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.