macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2001-07-25
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. when President Clinton took office. there were 38 million people uninsured. After 8 years. there are now roughly 43 million Americans who have no health insurance. Of those people. more than half of them are small busi-. ness owners. their families. their employees. their loved ones. The goal of a patients bill of rights should be to help these people get good health insurance and truly reduce the number of uninsured. One excellent Way to do that is to expand Archer medical savings accounts. Increasing access to medical savings accounts would help those people struggling to make ends meet. Medical savings accounts help people get the care they need from .a doctor they know. You choose your doctor. You choose your hospital. Increase the number of insured Americans. Support medical savings accounts and the Fletcher bill.
Date: 2001-07-25
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. I certainly agree with some of the things my colleague said in terms of outsourcing and trying to make it so it is not uncontrolled and unpredictable The difficulty with this amendment is that it does not just implement the FAIR Act. the Federal Activities Inventory Reform Act. That act applied only to commercial activities. This act. if you read the language. says none of the funds made available may be used to initiate the process of contracting out. outsourcing. privatizing. converting any Federal Government services. This applies to IT functions. it applies to SEAT management. it applies to ship construction. it applies to JavitsWagnerODay functions. engineering functions. What it does in these functions under the current regulations as they are written is we will have to use the A76 process in terms of going out sourcing any of these. The A76 process is used in only 2 percent of DOD contracts. and in almost no civilian contracts. because it is a 2year process. This would basically freeze outsourcing in noncommercial areas. something the FAIR Act was not intended to apply to originally. This amendment. in my judgment. is going to hinder and possibly shut down segments of the Federal Governments operations because we do not have in many of these areas of high expertise information technology. engineering. the inhouse capability to perform them. Last year Congress mandated that GAO create the Commercial Activities Panel to study the policies and procedures governing the transfer of the Federal Governments commercial activities from its employees to contractors. This panel is going to report back to Congress in May. next year. with recommendations for.improvements. I believe that Congress should await the results of this review before we start to legislate on that issue. So it is for those reasons that I would urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2001-07-25
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman. I also want to pay tribute to my friend from Maryland. who I honor and look forward to working with. but on this issue we have to agree. this amendment is opposed by the ITAA. the American Electronics Association. the Professional Services Council. and. of course. the administration. What this does is expand what is currently reserved for commercial activities. to JavitsWagnerODay Act. to recompetes in many sources cases. This could grind outsourcing to a halt. That is our concern on this. that it is overly broad. I intend to work with the gentleman over the next year to try to get something workable on this. We have held hearings in our committee on this. but I think this amendment goes too far and it is not in the interests of the American taxpayer. So I have to urge my colleagues to disapprove it.
Date: 2001-07-30
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in support of H.R. 1499. the District of Columbia College Access Act Technical Corrections Act of 2001. Two years ago. I introduced the D.C. College Access Act of 1999 along with my colleague. Delegate ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON. The Act allows recent high school graduates in D.C. to pay instate tuition at public colleges in Maryland and Virginia. It also provides tuition assistance grants for students attending private colleges in the District. Maryland. or Virginia. Since D.C. is not a state. the thousands of high school seniors who graduated from city schools each year had to pay outofstate tuition rates when attending any public college or university other than the University of the District of Columbia. Collegebound students in each of the 50 states have a vast network of statesupported institutions to atend. The D.C. College Access Act of 1999 has lev-. eled the playing field for eligible D.C. residents. It gives D.C. graduates more choices. and provides an incentive for more families to remain in the nations capital. Due to funding constraints. eligibility under the Act was limited. It was always our intention that all District of Columbia residents holding a secondary school diploma or the equivalent would eventually have access to this program. That is why I support H.R. 1499. The bill expands the application of the D.C. College Access Act of 1999 by opening the eligibility requirements to those individuals who graduated from secondary school prior to 1998 and also to individuals who enroll in an institution of higher education more than three years after graduating from a secondary school. This bill ensures that a greater number of D.C. residents are eligible to receive tuition assistance thereby broadening their educational opportunities at the undergraduate level. Therefore. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1499.
Date: 2001-07-31
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am going to talk about Benny Johnson. no relationship. Benny Johnson of Logic I sales in Richardson. Texas. employs 18 people and pays over $80.000 a year for health insurance for himself. his employees. and their families. Benny has paid for their health insurance for nearly 20 years. If health insurance premiums rise much higher. Benny is going to have to reduce benefits. drop coverage. or change plans. ending relationships with doctors they trust and know. Why would his premiums go up? Because of the McCainKennedy legislation in the House and Senate. which everybody knows would drive costs up. This potentially could add Benny and his employees. and their families. to the 43 million Americans without health insurance. It is just plain wrong. It has to stop. We have to think of Benny. his employees. and his families. Let us support the Fletcher bill.
Date: 2001-07-31
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise to support H.R. 2603. the United StatesJordan Free Trade Implementation Act. Jordan is a small Arab country with abundant natural resources such as oil. The Persian Gulf crisis aggravated Jordans already serious economic problems. forcing the government to put a hiatus on the International monetary Fund program. stop most debt payments. and suspend rescheduling negotiations. However. the economy rebounded in 1992. thanks to the influx of capital repatriated by workers returning from the Gulf. After averaging 9 percent in 199295. GDP growth averaged only 2 percent during 199699. In an attempt to spur growth. King Abdallah of Jordan has undertaken some economic reform measures. including partial privatization of some stateowned enterprises. These actions culminated with Jordans entry in January 2000 into the World Trade Organization (WTO). I have personally met with King Abdallah on several occasions. I was pleased to host the King and Queen in 1999. when they visited Northern Virginia to discuss possible investment opportunities in Jordan with regional high technology and telecommunications companies. The King and representatives from his government showed a keen interest in exploring trade opportunities with our technology sector. The attendees. which included CEOs and Presidents of national hightech organizations and companies. were overwhelmingly impressed with the Kings knowledge of the industry and his openness towards working with them. Mr. Speaker. I believe passage of H.R. 2306 will have significant and positive economic and political impacts for both Jordan and the United States. The U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will increase levels of trade in services for both nations. boost the Jordanian economy. contribute to easing unemployment. attract foreign direct investments from both U.S. and other foreignbased companies. and reinforce momentum for additional economic reform in Jordan. In the year 2000. total bilateral trade between the U.S. and Jordan was approximately $385 million. with U.S. exports to Jordan accounting for about 80 percent or $310 million of this total. In the same year. U.S. imports from Jordan totaled $73 million and accounted for approximately 20 percent of total bilateral trade. The FTA builds on other U.S. initiatives in the region that are designed to encourage economic development and regional integration. including: the 1996 extension of the U.S.Israel Free Trade Agreement to areas administered by the Palestinian Authority. and the 1996 creation of Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ. which are areas under joint Israeli and Jordanian control whose exports are eligible for dutyfree treatment in the United States. Once passed by the Congress and the Jordanian Parliament. the U.S.-Jordan FTA will be the first U.S. free trade agreement with an independent Arab country. and Jordan will be the fourth country in the world to have a bilateral free trade agreement with Americaall of which reflects the close bond between the two nations. and reaffirms our commitment to this burgeoning relationship.
Date: 2001-07-31
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the comments the gentleman made. his father and previous people in his family. I love the railroaders. They are good guys. We ought to take care of them. but I do not think they ought to get extra dollars. The railroad trust fund gets roughly a $300 million subsidy from general revenues when income taxes on tier 2 private pension equivalent. which the gentleman is talking about. are returned to the trust fund rather than general revenue. No other Americans have the taxes on their pensions returned to their pension funds. The railroad retirement needed a $3.5 billion subsidy in 2000 from Social Security to stay afloat. I just find it hard to believe that you can say that you are looking out for them. and I hope you will. but to drop the age limit down to 60 when Social Security is up to 65 to 67. going to 67. it is hard to rationalize that. Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan .
Date: 2001-07-31
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to point out that there are not a lot of other industries that have a retirement program such as this. The steel industry does not. and teachers and other people do not either. They pay into their own programs. but not into Social Security. for the most part. Social Security does not finance them. Let me make a point here that Social Security. according to the reform proposal that was handed out that goes with this bill and that has been occurring for a long time. tier 1 tax revenues are benefited by the Social Security benefit account. The Social Security benefit account also makes periodic transfers to tier 2. which is supported also by Social Security. So to say Social Security is not involved is a misnomer. The fact of the matter is. the gentleman from Connecticut pointed out earlier that I have a military background. and I have to tell you. I am scared to death that we are neglecting our military. If we pass this .thing. which is a $15 billion hit almost immediately. there is not going to be any money left for our military to survive. To me. that is what the Congress ought to be talking about. is protecting our Nation. I would like to add at this point that the Citizens for Sound Economy are urging a "no" vote on this bill. and they say. "Perhaps the most troubling part of the bill is it pretends to pay for itself. The railroad retirement trust fund currently holds $15.3 billion in government bonds. H.R. 1140." that is the bill number. "would cash them in and set up a new railroad retirement investment trust to invest the money in the stock market." They are going to score this as a key vote. I thought Members should know that. Mr. Speaker. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan .
Date: 2001-07-31
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I would like to read from a letter from the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board. from a person who is a labor member there. They ask. how do the average monthly railroad retirement and Social Security benefits paid to retired employees and their spouses compare? The average age annuity being paid by the Railroad Retirement Board at the end of 2000 to career railroad employees was $1.760 a month. and for all employees. the average was $1.300. The average age retirement benefit being paid by Social Security was about $800 a month. and spouse benefits averaged about $530. So the Railroad Retirement Act does not need fixing. it needs support monetarily. and guess where they are going to get it? They are going to get it from the Social Security Trust Fund. Mr. Speaker. I would like to just reiterate that the Presidents proposals under this bill are violated. The bill demands using Social Security funds to subsidize other benefits. The Federal Government. disguised as the investment trust. would invest in the private sector. and also the bill would prohibit personal retirement accounts for railroad employees. Every one of us should vote against this bill. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2001-08-01
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. it is an hon0rand privilege to welcome Pastor Greg Cox as our guest chaplain this morning. Pastor Cox is the Senior Pastor of Warwick Assembly of God Church in Hampton. Virginia. Pastor Cox serves as Presbyter of the Tidewater North Section of the Potomac District of the Assemblies of God. and also serves on the board of directors for Youth Challenge and MidAtlantic Teen Challenge. Both of these organizations are dedicated to liberating teens and young adults from drug and alcohol addiction and other lifecontrolling problems. Pastor Cox also holds a seat on the Ministry Cabinet of the National Clergy Council. a consortium of thousands of pastors from across the Nation dedicated to liberty and the sanctity of human life. In 2001. Pastor Cox directed the National Day of Prayer activities in Hampton. Virginia. and has served his denomination in State and national committees. Pastor Cox. a devoted husband and father of three. is a man of stellar reputation and high ideals. It is an honor to have such a man of integrity and faith represent my district today.
Date: 2001-08-01
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. H.R. 4 contains provisions that would impose mandatory standards on the hightech sector. a community that for 10 years has worked voluntarily with the Federal Government through the Energy Star program to achieve approximately 7.000 energyefficient consumer products for more than 1.000 manufacturers. By imposing mandatory standards. we risk quelling innovation and. as a result. hindering growth. I am concerned that inflexible. mandatory standards. as they exist now. could stunt the technology engines of our economy and compromise our competitiveness worldwide. For this reason. I would respectfully ask the chairman to work with me as we address some of -these concerns as we prepare to go to conference on this measure.
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. We have to work for our employees. those who are uninsured. I rise today in support of a hardfought agreement that would give patients access to an emergency room. assure patients access to independent external review. and hold health maintenance organizations accountable for their actions. However. unlike GanskeDingell. the NorwoodBush compromise does all these things in a responsible way. The GanskeDingell bill subjects employers to as many as 50 different external review standards and treats some patients better than others. depending on where they live. The Norwood compromise guarantees that employers and employees are treated equally no matter where they live. Unlike GanskeDingell. which would subject employers to frivolous lawsuits. this bill would protect employers from Federal lawsuits in all but the most extreme cases. GanskeDingell would also subject employers to lawsuits in 50 different States. This bill does not allow suits against employers to be filed in State court. Unlike the base bill. our bill assumes that employers or their agents are using ordinary care if the medical reviewer upholds their decision. It is time to put patients first. It is time to pass a patients bill of rights that increases the number of Americans with health insurance. By the end of this debate. I hope to have an amendment included that would increase access to affordable health insurance to the 43 million Americans who currently do not have health insurance through the use of medical savings accounts or association health plans. Mr. Chairman. we must support the Norwood amendment. It is good for America.
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania . a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. �
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. our opinion is that those health plans give people insurance. and they do lower the cost. Mr. Chairman. I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Connecticut
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Shame on the trial lawyers who are trying to win millions of dollars on your bill. Mr. Chairman. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Dakota .
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Chairman. MSAs are important for more than half of the 43 million small business owners. their employees and their families. and in spite of what you say. the truth is that workingclass people do use MSAs. and I am going to quote you. "All three of us are working middleclass mothers. two of us are single moms. and we all have medical savings accounts that provide health insurance for our families. Our message to people in Washington is plain. unmistakable English that MSAs work."
Date: 2001-08-02
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. reclaiming my time. I will get it to the gentleman. I will tell him what he tells me: I will send it to you in writing. Mr. Chairman. let me say that it is .unfortunate that the base bill we are considering does just the opposite of providing insurance for our people. We believe that creating association health plans and expanding medical savings accounts guarantees the access they need. Working together. it helps -employees and employers lower the cost of health insurance and gets the benefits they may. not have had. Increasing access to Medical Savings Accounts would help those people struggling to make ends meet. Medical savings accounts empower people to save their own money. tax free. for medical expenses in conjunction with a -high deductible health plan. Health expenses can break the family budget. MSAs help cushion the blow. They help people get the care they need from a doctor of their choice or a hospital of their choice. The base bill does not do that. It is time to focus on the uninsured. focus on access and affordability. This amendment is good for America and the 43 million Americans who do not have health insurance. Do what is right.. Vote for this amendment. Mr. Chairman. I yield the rest of my time to the gentleman from Kentucky
Date: 2001-09-05
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Tonight I rise to pay tribute to a great American. Everybody has said it. he was. and he was also a true patriot. my friend. FLOYD SPENCE. FLOYD and I first became friends when I came to the Congress in 1991. As a career Air Force fighter pilot for 29 years. I felt inclined to keep abreast of issues of importance to our national security and Armed Forces. Knowing my passion for the military. FLOYD went out of his way to update me early and often. even though I had not served on his committee. In fact. because I was a POW in Vietnam and also a veteran of the Korean
Date: 2001-09-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill to establish a commission for the purpose of encouraging and providing for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Date: 2001-09-10
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2133. the bill under consideration: