macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank my colleagues from the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for letting us Energy and Commerce folks have some time. According to the Congressional Research Service. the United States has more than 2.9 million miles of pipelines in our vast network. According to the Texas Pipeline Association. Texas has more than 320.000 miles of intrastate pipelines. As a lifelong Houstonian. there has never been a time in my life when I havent lived along a pipeline easement. Needless to say. in Texas. we know pipelines. but we also know about the importance of safety. Every day. industry moves millions of gallons or cubic feet of domestically produced and refined product without any problems. Since 2005. the United States has seen a general decline in the number of pipeline releases or accidents that result in environmental damage or personal injury. We understand that the compounds moved via pipeline pose a risk. and we must effectively manage and mitigate that risk to protect our citizens and the environment. Today I think we are taking another step in the right direction. The bill before the House today is a good bill that attempts to lay down concrete rules of the road for the next 5 years. For the sake of our constituencies. we need to pass this bipartisan bill in a bipartisan way. I would like to voice my support for this bill and ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same. Four years ago we gave PHMSA a job to do. While some of their work has been completed. there is still work to do. That is why this bill directs PHMSA to prioritize rulemaking and complete the work before them. We should not continue to add requirements on their plate. We should allow PHMSA the time and. most importantly. give them the resources required to finish this important job. I would like to express support for the PHMSA workforce management language. We need inspectors in the field working closely with their industry partners to avoid another emergency situation. In my opinion. robust inspection is the best option available for everyone involved. If we reach the enforcement stage. that means something has gone wrong and we are too late. Industry. PHMSA. and the workers support this provision. The second provision I would like to support is the emergency authority for PHMSA. While this provision may not be perfect. it represents a strong balance between enforcement and review. It is important to keep in mind that this is emergency authority. Unfortunately. when there is an incident involving a pipeline. we need to act with speed. efficiency. and resolve.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I want our executive agencies on the scene ensuring we are protecting the people and the environment. We must ensure that people have confidence in the pipeline system. and effective crisis management will help build that belief. I appreciate the hard work that went into crafting this provision. Compromise is not easy. so I want to thank both sides for drafting these provisions. I know there is more work ahead. but I look forward to supporting the current bill.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: MAXINE WATERS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I thank Mr. YARMUTH for hosting this hour. Muhammad Ali was a good friend. He was someone that I had known that I had worked on some projects with. But more than that. my husband was one of those athletes. My husband was then the linebacker for the Cleveland Browns when Bill Russell and my husband. Sidney Williams. and Jim Brown all got together to support Muhammad Ali when. of course. he was not allowed to be a conscientious objector and was threatened with prison. I got to know him sometime after that. We used his home for a very special event. I got to know his former wife. Veronica. and his children. One of his children worked in one of my programs. This comes at a very difficult time for all of us. I loved him because he had courage. He had the courage to give up his career. had the courage to threaten to be imprisoned. and had the courage to fight. The Nation of Islam stood with him. and these athletes all stood with him. He was a great man. When he said he was The Greatest. he really was. because he was an unusual extraordinaire. I will be at the funeral on Friday. I will be there with the family and the rest of the athletes that are still living that are going to be there to honor him.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. let me thank Mr. YARMUTH and say that I couldnt leave the mic without acknowledging that George Foreman is in Houston. and Evander Holyfield. only to say that the people that he fought became his dear friends. I know they would want me to say that. Thank you so very much for allowing us to pay tribute to The Greatest.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the subject of my Special Order. That subject. Mr. Speaker. will be flooding in the State of Texas.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I and a good many of my colleagues will speak tonight about circumstances that are occurring in Texas more often than we would care to see. In a sense. Mr. Speaker. this is a continuation of a mission of mercy that we embarked upon earlier this year when we were having flooding in Houston. Texas. These floods that we are having across the length and breadth of our State are causing great property damage. and that is worthy of a lot of consideration and it is worthy of being addressed on the floor of the House of Representatives. But we also have a good many lives that have been lost across the length and breadth of our State. and these. of course. are of paramount importance to us. So while we may make some references to the property damages and there will be some things said about possible solutions. I believe that we will say a good deal about the lives that have been lost. At this time. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentleman from Texas 27th Congressional District to give his comments. Mr. FARENTHOLD has experienced some flooding. and I am honored to have him appear and tell us about what is happening to his constituents in the 27th Congressional District.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for not only what he has said tonight. but for what he has been doing in his district to help persons in times of need. It is greatly appreciated by his constituents. and I greatly appreciate you coming to the floor tonight to let people know that we in Texas are standing together. and we are going to work together and we will get through this. but it wont hurt if we can get a little bit of help. I am honored to have another colleague. who has a district that is in Houston. Of course. he has been in Congress for many years. and I consider him a very dear friend. the Honorable GENE GREEN. from the 29th Congressional District in Houston. Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Texas
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank my colleague for coming to the floor. I know a good many of his constituentshe and I are often in each others districts. I know that they are exceedingly pleased that he has taken up this cause. My hope is that he and I will continue with this mission of mercy. if you will. such that we will bring to fruition some solutions for the problems that we encounter not only in Houston. but also across the length and breadth of our State. I am honored to yield. Mr. Speaker. to the gentleman from the 20th Congressional District of Texas . who is in Congress not as a neophyte. I believe he has been here now into his second term. He has done an outstanding job since he arrived in Congress. We are honored to hear from him about some of his concerns and his constituents.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I greatly appreciate the gentleman sharing time with us on the floor tonight. He has spoken very eloquently about some of the concerns that go beyond the visible property damages. Ostensibly things happen. but there are some other things that are happening that we dont always uncover. When these things happen to poor people. the damages can exceed far more than the eye can see. I am grateful that he has called some of these things to our attention. Thank you very much. At this time. I am going to call upon another colleague. All of these are dear friends. These are persons who have come to the floor tonight. quite frankly. not in a bipartisan effort. but more in a nonpartisan effort. There is no partisanship associated with what we do. We work together on these issues. I am honored to yield to the gentleman from the 14th Congressional District. the Honorable RANDY WEBER. He is one of my neighbors as well. I welcome you. and I yield to him. my dear friend.
Date: 2016-06-08
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in recognition of the ongoing flooding in my home state of Texas. Texas has experienced numerous incidences of heavy rain and extreme weather events since last summer. which have resulted in extensive flooding. property damage. and tragic loss of life. Flooding and heavy rain has affected much of our vast state this spring. Flood warnings continue throughout Dallas County along the Trinity River this week. while my district has been the focus of flash flooding and severe weather for the better part of this year. Further throughout Texas. rain gauges at the AustinBergstrom International Airport. College StationBryan. and San Angelo have recorded the wettest spring seasons on record for these areas. Recent flooding in Texas has so far claimed the lives of 16 individuals and has resulted in significant costs associated with property damage. Even more alarming is the fact that these catastrophic floods seem to be occurring with greater severity and frequency over time. More than ever. we need to recognize the effects of climate change on our normal weather systems. Before we can begin to seriously address these severe acts of nature. we must trace these events back to their root cause. Climate change is undeniably a significant contributing factor of the increase in frequency and severity of these storms. The State of Texas has fostered a strong relationship with our federal partners. such as the Department of Homeland Security. to deliver critical funding and emergency response for rescue and cleanup efforts. As long as these floods continue. we need to continue to build on our cooperation and work over the past year by not only improving our response to current events. but also by taking deliberate steps to mitigate future risks. Mr. Speaker. the extreme weather events that we are experiencing in Texas are emblematic of the potentially devastating consequences of climate changeand this is only the beginning. As we continue our efforts to assist the people of Texas. I urge for more federal assistance in our fight to address the recent rain and flooding while also mitigating future flooding concerns throughout the state.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. Muhammad Ali was. indeed. the greatest. and he spent considerable time in Chicago. Therefore. I got the opportunity to meet and know him. On occasion. I would visit with my friends Frank Lipscomb. Wallace Davis. Jr.. and Ralph Metcalf. Jr.. and we would visit with him in his Kenwood home and at meetings. Although Muhammad Ali was born and raised in Louisville. Kentucky. those of us who lived in Chicago embraced Ali as a fellow Chicagoan because of his relationship to the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. who was with the Nation of Islam. and because of his involvement and engagement with the larger community. Muhammad Ali was not only the best boxer in the world. but during his heyday. he was a genuine hero to everyday people who felt that he was a part of them. In 1966. 2 years after winning the heavyweight title. he refused to be conscripted into the military. citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the American involvement in the Vietnam war. He was eventually arrested. found guilty of draft evasion. and stripped of his boxing titles. He successfully appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court. which overturned his conviction in 1971. By that time. he had not fought for nearly 4 years and lost a period of peak performance as an athlete. Alis actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for those who opposed the war. With a record of 61 total fights. 56 wins37 by knockoutsand just five losses. Muhammad Ali was. obviously. a superb athlete. but he was so much more. He was a humanitarian. a principled man. He was proud of his heritage. proud of his abilities. and proud of his accomplishments. Muhammad Ali. a soldier in the peoples army. I salute you.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. nearly 47 million people are living in poverty in the United States. That is about 10 times the total population of Los Angeles. And. Mr. Speaker. no matter how hard these families work and no matter how much these families save. they are still not able to get ahead. These families struggle to feed themselves and their children. They struggle to save for a home. They struggle to live the American Dream that we all yearn for. and that is unacceptable. That is why I support expanding programs. which I believe help and provide a social safety net. Essential programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. and the Free and Reduced Lunch Program serve specific community needs. Mr. Speaker. we need to bring legislation to the floor that will help families. help families to help themselves get ahead. proven programs. Lets not condense or cut them. Lets work on legislation to help these families.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I rise in opposition to the consideration of H.R. 5325. a deceitful effort by House Republicans to yet again dehumanize an entire group of people. It pains me to even say the phrase "illegal alien" out loud because it is pejorative. it is offensive. and has no place in our modern discourse. The Library of Congress is correct to leave this phrase in the pages of history and never to have it uttered again. The importance of the Library of Congress decision to discontinue and remove the outdated phrase cannot be emphasized enough. Libraries nationwide and around the world look to the Library of Congress subject headings and other standards to publish information. As lawmakers representing a country of immigrants. Congress should not assist in the dissemination of information that perpetuates racism and promotes hate. Of course. I am not at all surprised that congressional Republicans would resort to inserting themselves into bibliographic decisions that are normally reserved for librarians. not appropriators or politicians. Republicans hypocritically claim to want to keep government out of peoples lives. but want government to intrude and dictate standards only when it benefits their bigoted views. Sadly. todays effort and other past maneuvers to block President Obamas executive actions on immigration falls in line with the concerted effort to move our country backward. We are better than that. Instead of promoting antiquated and deplorable language. we should be tackling any number of important issuesaffordable education. tax reform. and promoting job growthnot telling librarians and educators how to do their jobs.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Florida for his management of what is a difficult and trying legislative process and my distinguished friend from Georgia. as well. for his service. Both of them are on the Rules Committee. It pains me to come to the floor on an appropriations bill when I know that there is so much opportunity for us to be able to work together. I know my good friend from Georgia will understand the pain of which I speak and will also attest to the fact that. in many instances in the appropriations process. we have an open rule and we allow our Members to express themselves on behalf of the people of their congressional districts but. more importantly. the higher goal. and that is. the people of the United States of America. Let me first express my pain that this bill is the first bill that has come to the floor. when I know that there was vigorous debate and possibilities for the energy and water billcertainly. in my congressional district. which has seen itself under inches and inches of rain. seeing people die. and losing individuals through these enormous rains and floodingbecause we need the kind of infrastructure that comes under energy and water. That bill is not being able to pass. Seeing the funding for access to health care. community centers. community health clinics not yet come to the floor. seeing the funding for infrastructure and transit that is so needed in our urban centers. like Houston. Texas. not coming to the floor. And then. of course. the Department of Justice. which is in the middle of dealing with commutation of sentencings. dealing with youth justice programs. dealing with a number of issues that are paining Americans. and they need our relief. Yet the bill that comes to the floor. I must again painfully say. is an appropriations bill that I will not be able to support. It is a bill that really keeps the wheels going in this place. It is not a more important bill. but it keeps the wheels going so that we can do the peoples work. Here is what is happening that I think is a dastardly reflection on what we have come to. Let me be very clear. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee dealing with the mechanics of lawmaking. dealing with laws that ultimately provide people civil or criminal justice relief or constitutional relief. I want to tell my colleagues who wrote this language that the issue dealing with the Library of Congress is an administrative one. The idea that noncitizens and unauthorized immigration have any impact on creating a comprehensive immigration system. which I have introduced legislation along with my colleagues. joining with them over the years. has no import and impact of law. It is truly an administrative task that the Library of Congress is attempting to comport with national experts of librarians. Everybody loves a librarian. They give our children knowledge. They give our students knowledge. They give all of us knowledge.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

They give us their best expertise. Why we would intrude in an administrative process when it goes into nothing that impacts the scheme of the administrative or the legal structure here in the United States: it is to denigrate. it is to insult. We understand that the word "illegal" does connote that you have violated a criminal act in certain instances. And there are those who are undocumented. noncitizens. et cetera. unauthorized. that have not violated any criminal laws. Let me also say to you that defunding of the foolish Planned Parenthood investigation is warranted. Why? In my own home State of Texas. in Houston. the indictment did not go to Planned Parenthood. which was the attempt. but it went to the perpetrators of fraud on Planned Parenthood. There is nothing to investigate. If you want to investigate. then investigate the lack of access of millions of women in the State of Texas who were using those clinics that Planned Parenthood had. So my point is this is a bill we must vote against. Vote against the underlying rule and the bill. because it is nothing but fraud and foolishness. and that is not what we should do in this House.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5278. This bill is not a perfect bill. but it is a true bipartisan compromise. and it is the only option on the table to address the crisis in Puerto Rico. which is the home to 3.5 million American citizens. The solution that this bill adopts is simple: It will allow Puerto Rico to restructure its debt in an orderly. courtsupervised process and. in exchange. a temporary. temporary Federal oversight board will help Puerto Rico make the structural reforms necessary to get its finances in order and set it on the path of economic growth. I would like to truly thank all parties for their hard work on this bill. especially Mr. PIERLUISI. my good friends from New York. my colleagues Representatives VELAZQUEZ and SERRANO. Ranking Member GRIJALVA. Chairman BISHOP. Leader PELOSI. and Antonio Weiss. at the Treasury Department. New York City. which I represent. has some experience with control boards. When we faced a fiscal crisis back in the 1970s. the State established two control boards. And while that was a tough pill to swallow. in the long run. it made our city better and stronger. I would like to emphasize that the solution to New York Citys fiscal crisis involved a control board. a debt restructuring. and a $2.3 billion loan from the Federal Government. Puerto Rico isnt getting any Federal money at all. so a debt restructuring law is really the least we can do to help them. Finally. while some opponents of this bill claim on this floor that debt restructuring is unnecessary because Congress solved D.C.s fiscal crisis in the nineties with just a control board. this is fundamentally untrue. The only reason the D.C. Control Board was able to balance D.C.s budget so quickly was because Treasury assumed the Districts $4 billion in pension obligations the year after the Control Board was created. So a control board by itself is not enough. We need to do more. But I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman. the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill is a total of $3.481 billion-$72 million above the fiscal year 2016 enacted bill. I thank our full committee chairman.
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. first of all. I want to acknowledge the presence of Chairman GRAVES lovely daughter. because it is always nice as a parent to have your children with you while you are doing your work. So welcome to the House of Representatives. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman. Will the gentleman point out to the House of Representatives what is referenced in the U.S. Code to which the report refers?
Date: 2016-06-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I have. and it refers specifically to the term "illegal alien." That is how it is referenced in the United States Code.