macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-12
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1120. the Republican plan to shut down the NLRB. This plan is just the latest in a seemingly unending series of Republican attacks on working people. Make no mistake: the real goal of this legislation is to attack workers rights. This bill will make it harder for workers and employers to settle disputes. It will essentially end the National Labor Relations Boards ability to hear cases until the Senate confirms the Presidents NLRB nominees. And we all know that that deliberative body is often better at obstruction than getting the peoples business done. Instead of trying to shut down the NLRB. shouldnt my colleagues on the other side of the aisle be calling on the Senate to have an upordown vote on the Presidents nominees for the NLRB? Allow me to separate fact from fiction. This bill is not about certainty. This bill is about making it harder for working people to have their voices and their cases heard. This bill is not about making the NLRB function efficiently. This bill is a partisan move to gut the NLRBs implementation of the law. After all. if you fire all the judges. theres nobody there to hear your case. Once again. the Republican leadership has decided to waste time making political points at the expense of working class Americans. We should be working on legislation to grow jobs. The American people are sick of politics. They want Congress to work on creating jobs and economic certainty. What our Republican friends are giving the American people today is more of an assault on workers rights. This legislation doesnt do anything to help the 23 million Americans looking for goodpaying jobs. Vote "no" on this turkey of a piece of legislation.
Date: 2013-04-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank my good friend. Im so glad my good friend talked about the question of fairness because I believe in fairness as well. and I ask my colleagues to enthusiastically. with great presence. to vote this legislation down because it is unfair because I believe in the working man and working woman and working families who desperately need a fair body that is in regular order. the NLRB. that allows companies. corporate America. to come to the table of reconciliation on issues like pay equity. of which my good friend ROSA DELAURO is a champion of and Im joining her. on good issues like the quality of life in the workplace. the idea of income and negotiations on plants being shut down. What my good friends want to do is deny the process to this President that Ronald Reagan used some 240 times. the hundreds of recess appointments in the 1980s. to ensure that regular order occurred in this Nation on behalf of the working men and women of America. This is a direct stab at them. This is a direct affront to them. And I would ask my colleagues to vote against this and for the working men and women of America. This is a bad bill.
Date: 2013-04-12
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to oppose this attempt to strip worker protections in this country by shutting down the National Labor Relations Board. The Majority argues that this bill somehow removes "uncertainty" in the economy. In reality. it does exactly the opposite. By removing all authority from the Board that enforces labor law. it creates unworkable deadlock. The NLRB orders union elections. certifies and decertifies unions after elections. and makes decisions on unfair labor practices when they are filed by employers or employees. Without a functional NLRB. there is no enforcement of workers rights. And with no alternative means of resolving disputes. workers may resort to strikes. The President has nominated two Republicans to fill the vacant seats on the NLRB and has renominated the Board members in dispute in the DC Circuit case. If the Majority is really interested in a functional Board. they should urge their colleagues in the Senate to vote on those nominations without delay. Todays bill will destabilize labor relations and I urge a "no" vote.
Date: 2013-04-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to oppose H.R. 1120. the "Preventing Greater Uncertainty in LaborManagement Relations Act." This bill effectively prevents American employees from seeking remedies when their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. or NLRA. are violated.
Date: 2013-04-12
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in strong opposition to the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in LaborManagement Relations Act . H.R. 1120 requires the NLRB to cease all activity that requires a quorum of Board members. This prohibits the Board from implementing. administering. or enforcing any decision finalized on or after January 4. 2012. that requires a quorum. This would essentially shut down the NLRB. I understand the concerns regarding the Constitutionality of the appointments. but on February 13. 2013. President Obama asked the Senate to confirm the two recess appointments to the NLRB. Both sides have agreed the President is doing what is required of him by the Constitution. The NLRB is an essential component of worker protections available to working men and women. The NLRB prevents and remedies unfair labor practices by employers and labor organizations. Elimination of the NLRB would leave millions of Americans without adequate protections. I urge my colleagues to join my opposition to H.R. 1120 to protect the hardworking men and women in the United States.
Date: 2013-04-12
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 1120. the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor Management Relations Act. The 112th Congress was laden with baseless attacks against labor unions and middle class workers. Sadly. it appears that my Republican colleagues in Congress are working once again to make the 113th Congress just as partisan and divisive as the last. H.R. 1120 is simply another attack on the rights of workers and their ability to form unions and bargain collectively. H.R. 1120 seeks to prevent the NLRB from carrying out its core responsibilities and will undermine the critical ability to protect Americans from abuse and exploitation by employers. If enacted. H.R. 1120 would have devastating consequences for the millions of workers belonging to unions. The NLRB issues legallybinding decisions that protect workers who have been illegally fired. denied the right to collectively bargain with their employer. or have experienced any other violation of their legal rights. With the NLRB effectively disarmed. these workers will have no recourse if any labor law violations are committed against them. Mr. Speaker. Republicans in Congress have repeatedly resorted to deceitful tactics to carry out their agenda. H.R. 1120 is no different. and is just one small part of a larger effort to dismantle the NLRB and weaken protections for workers to the benefit of businesses. I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 1120. and any other partisan pieces of legislation that also seek to undermine the rights of workers all across America.
Date: 2013-04-12
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Throughout the week. we have been hearing from souls who have asked us to have mercy on them and to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Thousands came to petition the government. There were mothers and fathers and children. and I am listening to their cries. as America has listened and as the Statue of Liberty often said: to bring you those who were in need but wanted to serve this Nation. Today. I introduced Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act. H.R. 1525. to have earned access to citizenship. family reunification. border security. supporting our Border Patrol agents. and a number of items that will bring us together. I hope that we can move this legislation forward. Let me quickly say that 50 of us signed a letter this week to stop the filibuster on sensible gun legislation. Thank goodness the other body now will move forward to answer the cries of other Americans who have been the victims of gun violence. It is certainly in keeping with the Second Amendment that we have the opportunity to have universal background checks. to rid ourselves of assault weapons and multiple rounds that have killed many in the various mass killings. and to have the ability to help those who have mental health needs. We can do this as Americans and as Members of Congress. I ask that we move forward and respond to the American people.
Date: 2013-04-15
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to H.R. 249. the misleadingly named Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act. This bill unfairly singles out federal employees for punishment instead of applying a uniform set of rules to individuals who may be delinquent on their taxes. All Americans should pay their taxes. and those who fail to do so should be penalized. But this bill denies public workers the full complement of due process rights that would be available to any other American under the same circumstances. In effect. this bill would require the firing of any public employee even if they are legitimately contesting their delinquency through the established process. There are laws and regulations on the books that address how tax delinquency should be handled and how public employees who are delinquent on their payments should be disciplined. By bypassing those procedures. this measure unfairly targets public employees simply because they work for the government. Public servants work hard every day providing a wide array of public services for Americans. from helping to nurse our wounded veterans. to discovering cures and treatments for diseases that plague millions of American families. to protecting our food supply. The passage of this bill is the latest in a series of unfair congressional attacks on public workers that has ranged from cutting their pay to reducing their benefits. And this bill arrives just as many of them face further pay cuts resulting from agency imposed furloughs. Federal workers do not deserve to be treated like this.
Date: 2013-04-15
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia changed her vote from "yea" to "nay." So (twothirds not being in the affirmative) the motion was rejected. The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Date: 2013-04-15
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it was my intent as well. as my colleague indicated. to come to the floor and discuss and urge the fast consideration of gun safety legislation and to speak as well to the jurisdictional issue of the Homeland Security Department working on cybersecurity. But I. too. believe it is most important to offer my deepest sympathy to those who lost their lives in Boston on Patriots Day in this Boston Marathon that all the world comes to. to thank the first responders. including nurses and doctors. volunteers. marathon runners. and those who came from around the world to be in this unifying event. We give to them our deepest concern. I express my deepest sympathy to my colleagues who represent the Boston area. to Governor Deval Patrick. and to those families who lost loved ones and those who are now lingering in hospital beds. I wish them well and stand with my colleagues as we did on 9/11 and many other times. that those who perpetrated this heinous act will be brought to justice. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee. Mr. Speaker. I also hope to look at venues and big events in the pending weeks and months so that we can reassess the safety and security for the American people. That is our charge and our responsibility. and I know that together we will be able to accomplish it. Again. my deepest sympathy for this loss. We cannot express the depths of the feelings of sympathy that we have. May God bless you. and may those who have lost their lives. may they rest in peace.
Date: 2013-04-15
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize Israel. our partner in peace and prosperity. for its 65 years of independence. On April 14. 1948. just hours before the British Mandate was due to end. Israels Founding Fathers and Founding Mothers. led by future David BenGurion declared the birth of the State of Israel in Tel Aviv. Many of the Jews who lived in Israel in 1948 were survivors of the Second World War and the Holocaust. which pushed international opinion for the need for a homeland for the Jewish people where they could be free from persecution and free to build a better life. Since that fateful day in Tel Aviv. Israel and its people have worked tirelessly to build a thriving democracy that is economically prosperous and at peace with neighboring nations. The first nation to recognize Israels independence. I am proud to say. was the United States. which welcomed Israel into the community of nations just hours after its declaration. The bonds between our two great nations. bound together by common interests and shared values. have only grown with time. It is also fitting to take this occasion to speak on the future of a lasting peace. As I and my colleagues in this chamber have said repeatedly. the only path to peace is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Mr. Speaker. I hope on this joyous day that we reflect on the need to redouble our efforts to bring peace to the region and continue to tangibly support our friend and ally in its request for peace.
Date: 2013-04-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I have been on this floor yesterday and today. earlier this morning. to offer my sympathy to those who lost their lives and suffer in Boston and say that we are united with them. But this Congress now is proceeding on some important business. and I offer to my colleagues that we cannot wait to pass legislation on gun safety and gun violence prevention. Homicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. Homicide is the leading cause of death for many minorities in this country. 82.8 percent of young people who are killed are killed with a firearm. Every 30 minutes. a child or teenager in America is injured by a gun. Every 3 hours and 15 minutes. a child or a teenager loses their life to a firearm. And in 2010. 82 children under 5 years of age lost their lives due to guns. We must respond. I have introduced H.R. 65. which indicates prevention. or a system to prevent children from having access to guns. Children have accidentally shot themselves. shot their parents because guns have been accessible because we as adults have not been responsible. As we work across the Houses. it is important to pass gun violence prevention legislation and do it now. It does not violate the Second Amendment.
Date: 2013-04-16
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 756. the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013. This is a good. bipartisan bill. and it is nearly identical to the legislation that passed the House by an overwhelming majority last Congress. I would like to thank my colleagues. Mr. LIPINSKI and Mr. MCCAUL. for their leadership and dedication to improving our Nations cybersecurity. Almost every one of us uses a computer. a cell phone. and the Internet every single day. These technologies have greatly increased our productivity and connectivity. and they have become a key component of our economy. Unfortunately. if you pick up the newspaper. youre likely to see another story about a hacker bringing down a Web site. stealing credit card numbers. or gaining access to a companys intellectual property. We need to do what we can to help ensure that these sorts of cyber intrusions are minimized. and I am pleased that H.R. 756 addresses a number of critical issues: It strengthens publicprivate partnerships. guarantees a proactive and comprehensive research and development portfolio. ensures the development of robust cybersecurity standards. and trains the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Both of the agencies covered in H.R. 756. the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. play important and unique roles in the Federal Governments effort to secure cyberspace. I strongly believe that these agencies and the activities they support are vital to our Nations future prosperity. We not only need to protect the security of our current information systems. but we need to build the next generation of systemssystems that are more secure from the first time theyre turned on. President Obama previously stated that cyber threats are "one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a Nation" and that cuttingedge research and development and a commitment to science and math education are central to securing Americas information and communication networks. I couldnt agree more. Cybersecurity is a critical issue. and it becomes more important day by day. Addressing this issue will not be easy. but it is absolutely necessary. H.R. 756 will help build up our cybersecurity capabilities through research and education. This is a good. bipartisan bill that should be included in any comprehensive effort to keep our Nation. our businesses. and our citizens safe from malicious cybersecurity attacks. Before I conclude. I would like to thank my staff and the majoritys staff for their hard work on this bill. In particular. I would like to thank Marcy Gallo for her efforts on this bill in this Congress and in past Congresses as well. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure this bill makes it to the Presidents desk. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 756. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-04-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Let me thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership on the Science Committee. and thank the proponents of this legislation. my chairman on the Homeland Security Committee. Mr. MCCAUL. and Mr. LIPINSKI. for their bipartisanship on something that is enormously crucial. and it is certainly crucial for those of us who serve on both Judiciary and Homeland Security and probably a number of others. What I want to applaud most of all is the R&D and expanded training. We will need to have a cadre. an army of civilians. who understand the protection of Americas cyber landscape. if you will. And it is a domestic issue. as well as a security issue. because Americas energy and utilities and medical care all are tied into the cybersphere. Whether or not it is a youngster who wants to hack. or whether or not it is an aggressive foreign country. it is valuable and important for us to be trained. Id like to offer the importance of Historically Black Colleges and Hispanicserving Colleges as well. being part of this very important effort and. as well. to educate the private sector. which has 85 to 80 to 90 percent. in essence. of the private sector dealing with cybersecurity. Let me complete. Mr. Speaker. by saying as we move forward. I think it is important for Homeland Security to be a lead on some of these issues. particularly the bill coming forward. But I applaud this legislation. I congratulate the proponents and sponsors and ask my colleagues to support this legislation.
Date: 2013-04-16
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I have no further requests for time. Id like to just urge that we support the bill. and I thank the chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2013-04-16
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 967. the Advancing Americas Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013. H.R. 967 is a good. bipartisan bill which I was pleased to join Mrs. LUMMIS from Wyoming and Mr. HALL from Texas in introducing. H.R. 967 is largely based on a 2009 Housepassed bill that was introduced by thenChairman Gordon and Ranking Member HALL. But the current bill also includes some updates from the 2009 bill that reflect changes to the network and information technology landscape as well as policy and management recommendations made by an outside panel of experts charged with evaluating the NITRD program.
Date: 2013-04-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Today. Mr. Speaker. the other body has an opportunity to do what 90 percent of the American people would like us to doto be prayerful and to come together to respond to the horrific siege of gun violence in America. It is important to note that. on average. 13 young people from ages 10 to 24 are victims of homicide every day. and 82.8 percent of these youth are killed by a gun. Every 30 minutes a child or teenager in America is injured by a gun. Every 3 hours and 15 minutes a child or a teenager loses their life from a firearm. In 2010. 82 children under the ages of 5 lost their lives due to guns. To put that number in perspective. 58 law enforcement lost their lives. And so today. we dont have to violate the Second Amendment. As I said. we can be prayerful. We can pass universal background checksthe same thing we do with registering our cars. getting licenses. This is a time for America to rise to our higher angels and do what our children need them to do. I ask the Senate to challenge its conscience and to vote for universal background checks to stop the violence.
Date: 2013-04-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the distinguished ranking member and the chairman. as well. for working to answer an enormous concern on the question of national and domestic security. Since Robert Tappan Morris in 1988 released one of the first commuter worms. we realized. as the computer and the Internet now have grown. the proliferation of computer malware. or computer programs designed specifically to damage computers or their networks or to coopt systems or steal data. has attracted public and media attention and that we needed to do something. Now more than ever. cybersecurity impacts every aspect of our lives. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee. I can assure you that my concern about the electric grid utilities. the energy and financial industries. recognize that it is important to act. and to act with speed and understanding. Likewise. I am concerned about the rage in epidemic of hackers and the impact that it has on 85 to 87 percent of the infrastructure in this Nation. For that reason. however. I believe that along with this effort. we should have a lead civilian agency to collect the data. Im looking forward to the managers amendment. which I hope will clarify that Homeland Security will be that. In addition. I have offered an amendment. My amendment ensures that if a cloud service provider identifies or detects an attempt by someone to access. to gain unauthorized access to nongovernmental information stored on the system. it would not be required or permitted to report that attempt to the government and it cannot share that information with the government. I thank the Rules Committee for allowing that amendment to be in. I do. however. want to raise the question on privacy. I believe that we could fix this legislation with a small addition dealing with the privacy question as we hopefully address the question dealing with the lead civilian agency. I thank the chairman and the ranking member. and I look forward to further discussion on this legislation.
Date: 2013-04-17
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I was unavoidably detained with meetings in my office. Had I been present. I would have voted "aye" on the Rogers amendment. "aye" on the Connolly amendment. and "aye" on the Langevin amendment to the underlying legislation. H.R. 624.
Date: 2013-04-18
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

OF CALIFORNIA The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8 printed in House Report 11341.