macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1998-07-29
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I might consume of my 20 minutes. H.R. 629. the Texas LowLevel Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Consent Act would grant the consent of Congress to the lowlevel radioactive waste disposal agreement reached between the States of Texas. Maine. and Vermont. When Congress passed this Act back in 1980. it was a part of a broader general agreement whereby the States are responsible for the disposal of lowlevel radioactive waste while the Federal Government is responsible for highlevel radioactive waste disposal. Since 1980 when the act was passed. 41 States have received the consent of Congress for their disposal compacts. The vast majority of lowlevel radioactive waste do not even require the use of special containers to protect against threats to human health. They include a wide range of materials. medical isotopes. university research wastes. and lowlevel wastes from nuclear power operations. In most cases. the radioactivity in these materials would decay to the point where there is no significant. no significant risk to human health after about 100 years. With the decision to put lowlevel waste responsibilities at the State level. the obligations of the Federal government have always been fairly limited. Our primary responsibility is to ensure that the compacts comply with the Federal LowLevel Waste Act. The Texas Compact meets this test without a doubt. The State legislatures and the Governors of Texas and Maine and Vermont have met their obligations under the LowLevel Radioactive Waste Policy Act. It is now our responsibility as Members of Congress to sup-. port the States in this decision. The conference agreement accomplishes this. It proposes a clean bill which does not include the amendments adopted during the floor consideration in the House and the Senate. This provides the States of Texas. Maine. and Vermont with the same flexibility enjoyed by nine other compacts Congress has already approved. It maintains an even playing field for the entire compact system. It is the right thing for the House to do at this time. The gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall). the sponsors of the legislation. deserve a great deal of credit for their strong leadership and capable effort in moving this bill and this conference report forward. I strongly support the conference report and encourage its adoption by the House. . Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 1998-07-29
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas . the author of the bill.
Date: 1998-07-29
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I listened to my colleagues harangue here about some of the things that are going on. They were in the legislature and voted on that in Texas. and so did I. I was there at the time. I hear people badmouth Ann Richards. our Governor at the time. She was of the other party. but I want to tell the Members. I thought Ann Richards handled the waste company issue well. and she and George Bush support this compact. To say that it is not the right thing to do is crazy. I do not know where these Members are coming from. If they voted for it. they ought to be for it. It is a State matter. not a Federal matter. For the gentleman to sit there and say that we have to determine our own destiny. and then turn around and say it is up to the Federal Government to put our destiny at risk. It is not. it is up to the States. The States made a compact. Three States made a compact. Vermont. Maine and Texas. To not approve that compact. which is in a conference report now. and it has been passed through both Houses. it is time for Congress to pass this compact so that those three States can get on down the road. and so that. in spite of what my colleagues are saying. Texas. Maine. and Vermont can store their lowlevel radioactive material. Because if we do not do it. Texas can be forced to take waste from other States in the Union. I am told. I think that is correct. Also. to sit there and talk about Mexico. when they are one of the worst violators of the environment I have ever seen. that they are going to oppose us putting clean. wellpackaged waste into the ground. is crazy. And then for somebody to bring up the idea that we are attacking a lowwage earning community is also ridiculous. I cannot believe it. That area was picked because of the soil. because. of the ground around it. because it is a safe storage place. The way we package these lowlevel radioactive items today. it is not dangerous. Members ought to go out to Nevada where they tested nuclear weapons. That is real hazard. I happened to be out there when they were testing them. and flew through some of those things as part of a test. I am not dead. I think that anything that Members try to say about this compact as far as earthquakes. floods. water contamination. et cetera. is just crazy. It is time we voted for this report. the way it should be. It is up to the Congress to confirm what the States have asked. I urge consideration and passage.
Date: 1998-07-29
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker. I think we have heard eloquent debate here. I do have to say. I feel like a little bit of an orphan here between Maine and Vermont and Texas. being from the State of Colorado. but I think what our committee has done is the right thing. to move this legislation. give it a chance to rise or fall on its merits here on the floor by a democratic process. I think it is an important thing also to notice. I mentioned before. if we do nothing. then Texas may well have to be taking waste from a number of States. not just in addition to Maine and Vermont. I thank the gentleman from Texas and the other gentlemen from Texas. And I would also like to say to the gentleman from Texas . his efforts on this have been admirable. We have worked real hard on this one over a period of time. I think that he has done a terrific job on this.
Date: 1998-07-29
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman. I would just like to follow up on that. Our VA hospitals are important.. In spite of a few of them maybe being bad. I believe that they are doing better. doing a better job and being more responsible. I cancite the Dallas VA as an example of that. So I do not think that we need to wait to increase funding for our veterans. Our veterans are probably our most important product here in this country. and it is time we supported them fully. I think it is important that not only all the veterans organizations support this amendment but our Conservative Action Team also on this side supports it. I think $304 million that we have been discussing back and forth here is kind of one of those nebulous things that nobody has really put their finger on to say it is really needed. If it was not there last year. why do we need it this year. and they can waive the rules so that it can operate under mandatory funding. Apparently that is what our Senate did. I would encourage us to help our veterans. It is an aging population. as has been stated before. Our age is going to peak in the year 2000. We need to have more money in that system. The Committee on Veterans Affairs recommended about $452 million above the House level. This $300 million will start to make our veterans well. Iencourage all Members to vote for the Coburn amendment.
Date: 1998-07-30
Speaker: MARC A. KING (republican)
Chamber: S

Vice President. Business Development. GMA Cover Corp.. Washington. DC. DEAR MR. KING: This responds to our telephone conversation of October 9. 1997 relative to whether or not small businesses are eligible to receive incentive payments under the DoD Indian Subcontracting Incentive Program. My staff. in consultation with both the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Defense Procurement. thoroughly reviewed the FY 1998 DoD Appropriations Act and our implementing policy. The conclusion reached based on that review is that the legislation authorizes incentive payments from the $8 Million appropriated only to firms who submit subcontracting plans pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 637(d). Since 15 U.S.C. 637(d) does not apply to small businesses. even if GMA Cover Corporation agreed to submit a subcontracting plan. such a submission would not be pursuant to this provision of the law. Consequently. payment of Incentives for subcontracting with Indian organizations or Indianowned business enterprises using the $8 Million appropriated in the FY 1998 DoD Appropriations Act is not authorized for GMA Cover Corporation or other small businesses. As the restriction on the use of the 8 Million appropriated for Indian subcontracting incentive payments to large businesses is part of the FY 1998 Appropriations Act. it cannot be eliminated through regulations developed by the Department to implement the legislation. However. since it is our objective to provide for the maximum practicable participation of Indian organizations and Indianowned business enterprises in our contracts. I have submitted a legislative initiative proposing an amendment to the FY 1998 Appropriations Act language that will allow incentive payments to small businesses which subcontract to Indian organizations or Indianowned business enterprises. The point of contact for this subject. is Mr. Ivory Fisher. You may contact him directly on this or any other issues associated with the Indian Subcontracting Incentive Program. He may be reached at (703) 6971688.
Date: 1998-07-30
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. this resolution is not about Vietnam. It is about honoring and respecting the over 58.000 American soldiers who gave their lives battling communism so we could remain free. It is about our soldiers who still remain missing in action. It is about keeping the hope alive for the families who still wake up every morning asking the same question: What happened to my child. my husband. my brother. my fa.ther? I have seen how this Communist government conducts business. I have personally experienced their threats. their lies. and their socalled promises. My distrust lies with the Vietnamese Government. To those Members of Congress and to the administration who believe that opening up the Vietnam markets will bring closure to this chapter in history. they are wrong. I listened to their propaganda that America had betrayed us. left us to die. I knew they were wrong. As a member of the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. we have been negotiating for the last 5 years to get a full accounting of our missing. I can tell my colleagues that the Government of Vietnam continually refuses to cooperate. My only request is let us stop the suffering of the parents. the children. the relatives. those whodo not know the fate of their brave loved ones. Let us stand up to the Vietnam Government today and say: Give us information on our missing who died. America demands to know what happened to our servicemen and women. the soldiers who died for this Nation to keep it free.
Date: 1998-07-31
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I have got some news for House liberals in. the Democrat party. A violation of the law is not a poll. A violation of the law does not depend on how the stock market is doing. A violation of the law has nothing to do with vast rightwing conspiracies. Liberals seem satisfied with the response given by the White House about how the Democrat party accidentally raised nearly $3 million from Communist China in the last election cycle. and I understand that. Liberals are not troubled by the White House discovery that they had 900 FBI files of their political enemies. and I understand that. too. And liberals do not believe that using the FBI and the IRS to smear Billy Dale in the White House travel office is an abuse of power. and I understand that. But I do not understand why liberal Democrats in Congress are silent. silent. about the Clinton administrations decision to transfer waiver authority of sensitive technology to Communist China from the State Department and the Commerce Department. After all. Mr. Speaker. are we not all Americans?
Date: 1998-08-04
Speaker: DAN SCHAEFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Madam Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Madam Speaker. the webcasting is a new use of the digital works this bill deals with. and even most recent copyright amendments in 1995 do not really address it clearly. Under current law it is difficult for webcasters .and record companies to know their rights and their responsibilities for negotiating new licenses. This provision makes it clear what each party must do and sets a statutory licensing program to make it as easy as possible to comply with. I want to thank the gentleman from Washington and the gentleman from North Carolina for working with them to make sure this was all included. and I strictly urge my colleagues to carefully respect and preserve the delicate compromise that we have worked so hard to agree on as we move through this legislative process in the conference committee.
Date: 1998-09-02
Speaker: STROM THURMOND (republican)
Chamber: S

whom we are talking about today. and realize that this was a man who. in his forties. volunteered to go into World War II. and went into Normandythe sights of which most of us could not have imagined unless we saw this movieand was there in his forties. volunteered to be there to serve his countryas Senator COATS SO well said. they will never make another STROM THURMOND. I just want to add my accolades for this great man and what he has given for our country besides voting 15.000 times. He has done so much more. Thank you. Mr. President. I yield the floor.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of our special order tonight.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will continue to yield. if anyone doubts the sincerity of the current administration and the bureaucrats over in the White House and the Department of Education to construct a bureaucratic model of centralized control and authority with respect to public education in America. I would suggest that they peruse this letter that I am about to reference and will submit.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

We can trace the origin of this particular mentality directly to November 11. 1992. What is remarkable about that date is that November 11. 1992 was. of course. the day after the 1992 presidential election. the day when President Clinton became the nominee for or became the Presidentelect of the United States of America. What I hold here in my hands is a copy of a letter from a gentleman named Mark S. Tucker. who is the President of the National Center on Education and the Economy. As I say. I will. under the unanimous consent request that I had asked for and was granted just a few minutes ago. I will submit this in its entirety for the record tomorrow or request that it be submitted. But I want to tell my colleague that this letter was written not to the President but to the Presidents spouse. Hillary Clinton. at the Governors mansion in Little Rock. Arkansas. And it is a blueprint. effectively. for a consolidation of education authority right here in Washington. D.C. Not just kindergarten through 12th grade education throughout the country. but higher education. and even beyond to work force training. Let me tell my colleague just a couple of provisions in here that I will go ahead and read right now.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Once again I want to encourage all Members and any other observer to look for this letter that I am about to go through. I just want to mention a couple of paragraphs. The gentleman will get the idea without my having to actually read quite a lot of this. But this will be submitted in the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD. I will seek the approval of the body to allow that to occur and people will be able to see that in the lowing. This really is a blueprint. It is a letter. again. from Mark Tucker to Hillary Clinton dated November 11. 1992. just shortly after. very. very shortly after the President took over. It was evident that the President became the victor on election night in 1992. And it starts out. "Dear Hillary. I still cannot believe you won. but utter delight that you did pervades all the circles in which I move. I met last Wednesday in David Rockefellers office with him." and others. and it goes through the names here. It talks about the subject that they were discussing at this little roundtable was. 1.. what you and Bill should do now about education. training and labor market policy." I will stop there to point out that this is not just a blueprint that affects only K through 12 education. It involves education. training and labor market policy. Really. a consolidation of a broad approach utilizing the U.S. Department of Education. the Department of Labor. and also. potentially. the Small Business Administration and others. I want to jump right to a paragraph that just alarmed me when I first read it. It is about the levy grant system. as it is called. "We propose that Bill." meaning the President. "take a leaf out of the German book". it says. "One of the most important reasons that large German employers offer apprenticeship slots to German youngsters is that they fear. with good reason. that if they dont volunteer to do so. the law will require it." He says here. now listen to this. and listen to this very carefully. "Bill should gather a group of leading executives and business organization leaders and tell them straight out that he will hold back on submitting legislation to require a training levy provided that they commit themselves to a drive to get employers to get their average expenditures on frontline employee training up to 2 percent of frontline employee salaries and wages within 2 years." Let me restate that in different words and tell my colleagues what this says specifically. It talks previously in the letter about a new tax called a levy on employers for training.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

We can track this blueprint and the programs that the gentleman has outlined that have been implemented by the current administration. The school to Work Program would be one. Goals 2000 would be another. It just goes on and on and on. right on down to midnight basketball. which is consistent with the blueprint outlined in this letter from a group called the National Center on Education and the Economy. These are friends of the Clintons. And I am sure they were pretty excited and thrilled when there was a changeover in the White House. because it finally meant that a liberal perspective on centralizing and managing education around the country was finally possible. And that is the direction that they have moved this country.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

We have seen a huge growth and an explosion in Federal agencies that have their hands in our local schools.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

If I could interject for a moment. the extent of the bureaucracy in the U.S. Department of Education and the corresponding inefficiency. red tape and regulation that goes along with that cannot be measured exclusively on the number of Federal employees that are on the Federal payroll and assigned to the U.S. Department of Education. because with the rules and regulations and reporting requirements created by those roughly 4.000 to 5.000 employees comes implementation requirements that get passed on to the State level and to the local level.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Well. in order to continue receiving these funds. I have to behave in a way. as a school district. that satisfies the red tape and rules that come with those dollars from the Federal Government. I have to answer to bureaucrats maybe in the region that my State would be in. or I have to answer directly to people in Washington. D.C. to prove to them that I am using those dollars efficiently and effectively. meeting the expectations of somebody in the far off city of Washington. D.C. and achieving all of the objectives that these bureaucrats want to see. If I get the idea that I might not be achieving those objectives. I might ask to the bureaucrat in Washington. well. what is it exactly that you want to see on the report?.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

I will then go to work manipulating the numbers and the statistics and the variables and the reports from my school district to make it appear as though I am meeting the objectives of the Federal Government perfectly and as fully as I possibly can. doing all of these accounting gymnastics and stretching the actual definitions of the law. simply to make sure that we continue to receive this wonderful cash from Washington. D.C.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Endless accountability. The reason is because there is going to be politicians back here in Washington. D.C. who are demanding of these bureaucrats. you said the money was going to be spent to accomplish X. Y and Z goals. Now what proof do you have that you met them? The bureaucrat will say. well. I have all of these reports. because we require them from all of these districts all across the country. and you have reports and reports and reports that should assure you. Mr. Congressman. that the money is being spent well and you can go home and sleep well at night and maybe you will even get reelected.
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

Not only will I go through that process. I will go pick the auditors .up at the airport. I will go pick them up at the airport and drive them to my school and the doors will be open for them. I will offer them maybe a cup of coffee and give them a room all to themselves so they can sit down and go through my carefully prepared reports and documents and let them see just how fully compliant we are. They can have free reign in the school. They can open up all the school rooms they want. They can sit in. They can interview the kids. parents. the principal. They can do an audit of the school. We will also. in order to continue receiving this Federal cash. we will stop everything else we were doing that we thought was important until today. like teaching children and supervising the children. We will make sure that the secretaries and the accountants and the bookkeepers stop what they are doing and help you make sure that we are fully complying with this little grant that we have. I
Date: 1998-09-17
Speaker: BOB SCHAFFER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Colorado

This is all about putting children first. putting children ahead of the bureaucrats. putting the needs and interests of children and educating them for the future ahead of the comfort of bureaucrats who are interested in usually only one thing. and that is preserving the status quo and preserving the positions of authority that they have secured for themselves here in Washington. D.C. and in other government centers throughout the country.