macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-28
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. over the last week there was an unseemly. sad connection between a Supreme Court decision. the comments of Mr. Bundy. and the comments of the Los Angeles owner in the NBA. Justice Sonia Sotomayer had it right with respect to the affirmative action decision: the Courts decision perpetrated harm to African American. Hispanic. and Native American students. but it also provided a harm to Michigans public schools when they were trying to ensure the next generation of diverse persons who could in fact be part of a new America. Mr. Bundys comments about government subsidies and wouldnt we be better off as slaves and picking cotton were outrageous. disgraceful. and disgusting. Sadly. sports groups. the National Basketball Association that brings people together. the owner decided to talk about not putting Black people and others together in a public setting. America must move beyond that. and we as Members of Congress and others must stand against it and denounce it. This was a sad week. I hope we will move beyond it. I hope we will get better. and I hope we will denounce those ugly. racist. outrageous comments.
Date: 2014-04-29
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I. too. rise in support of H.R. 4488. I would like to thank my colleague across the aisle for his support. I would also like to thank the Honorable JOHN LEWIS for being a sponsor of this legislation. This is important legislation. as it does embrace two Congressional Gold Medals that have already been awarded. As fate would have it. Mr. LEWIS was the original sponsor of the bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Ms. Coretta Scott King and the Honorable Dr. Martin Luther King. Both of them are honorable people. I would also say that Mr. LEWIS has been a champion for human rights and civil rights. It is very difficult to have him in your presence and not acknowledge all that he has done. So. today. I am honored to support the Gold Medical Technical Corrections Act of 2014. I am also honored to mention one other colleague. the Honorable CORRINE BROWN. She worked on the bill that accorded a Congressional Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines of the United States Marine Corps. She was an original sponsor of this legislation. These two giants have brought us this far. It will take this legislation to take us the final steps along the way. The legislation merely indicates where these Congressional Gold Medals may be displayed. It seems to do what we could have done earlier. but we have found that it is not too late to do now. Mr. Speaker. at this time. I am honored to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia. the Honorable JOHN LEWIS. our civil rights icon right here in the United States House of Representatives.
Date: 2014-04-29
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I am so honored to be a part of this. and I would thank. again. the Honorable JOHN LEWIS for his efforts to not only accord the Congressional Gold Medals to Dr. King and Mrs. King. but also his efforts to make sure that they are properly located. so that they can be displayed properly. I would also want to. again. reiterate the efforts of the Honorable CORRINE BROWN. with reference to the Montford Point Marines of the United States Marine Corps. I believe this bill is one that can be embraced by all of our colleagues. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I rise in honor of Yom Hashoah. Holocaust Remembrance Day. to pay respect to over 12 million people. including 6 million Jews. systematically murdered by the Nazis. We learn how ordinary men and women can turn a blind eye to massive suffering and death. This January. I traveled to Poland to observe the 69th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. We were joined by representatives and parliamentarians from 60 different countries. over half of the Knesset from Israel. and many. many survivors. The memory of the Holocaust is seared forever into the consciousness of a generation of people who survived it. Through their stories. the lessons of that dark time serve as a warning to future generations. In the words of Elie Wiesel: Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere. It is with that sentiment I vow: never forget. and never again.
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: SANFORD BISHOP (democrat)
Chamber: H

who really have done an extraordinary job on this bill. Since it is the first bill coming to the floor. I share the pride expressed by the big chairman. Chairman ROGERS. This is regular order. this is an outstanding bill. and we can be very proud of the work. So thank you again. Chairman CULBERSON. Ranking Member BISHOP. for this very. very important bill. This is the first of the 12 spending bills that the House will consider for fiscal year 2015. As I mentioned. I am so pleased that we are beginning the process with a bill. as reported out of committee. that includes reasonable spending levels and is devoid of controversial riders. I hope this is a sign of what is to follow. Despite fiscal constraints. the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs bill would meet the needs of servicemen and servicewomen and continue to support our veterans. I am particularly pleased with the emphasis on the increased need for prosthetics for our female servicemembers. Congress must continue to track and provide vigorous oversight. as you heard from Chairman ROGERS and Chairman CULBERSON and Ranking Member BISHOP. on the VistA Evolution Electronic Health Record to ensure its capability and interoperability with whatever health records system the Department of Defense eventually selects. As we have discussed many times. this discussion has gone on much too long. It is time for closure. and it is time for coordination. I do hope that happens sooner. rather than later. The overall increase above the fiscal year 2014enacted level to the IT account should help the VA move forward. This bill also takes several steps to reduce the disgraceful veterans claims backlog. The committee has previously provided the VA with additional resources. This bill would provide $173.3 million to the Veterans Benefit Management System and an additional $20 million to the Veterans Benefit Administration for digital scanning of old paper files. the centralized mail initiative. and staff overtime. It withholds 75 percent of the VistA Evolution funds until VA provides information on the system. particularly regarding planned interoperability with the DOD. It will continue to require the VA to provide monthly records on claims processing and remediation efforts for underperforming regional offices. The VA has made progress in the last year. and this bill provides the resources to end the claims backlog. and that is what we expect of the Secretary in 2015. This is a good bill. I hope it is preserved as the House considers amendments. Mr. Chairman. I urge your support.
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I appreciate the gentleman yielding. First. let me commend and pile on to the commendations that are so deserving by our colleagues and my good friends. Chairman CUL3ERSON and Ranking Member BISHOP. on crafting a strong and bipartisan bill. Congress really can work together when we put our heads and our hearts together. Let me especially recognize their leadership in including language in the bill which will help many of our Nations veterans transition into careers in civilian health care. The United States military has the besttrained medics and corpsmen in the world. In fact. the data substantiates that Special Forces medics greatly increase the chances of survival for those who suffer injuries on the battlefield. Despite this. former military medics have one of the highest unemployment rates among veterans because their extensive medical training in the military doesnt perfectly match qualifications in the civilian world. For example. Army Specialist Nick Colgin. whom President Obama applauded as an American hero for saving the life of a French soldier shot in Afghanistan. was somehow considered unqualified to be an emergency medical technician in Wyoming. This Military ConstructionVeterans Affairs bill that we are considering can help fix this baffling disconnect. It includes language establishing a pilot program for veteran medics that will expand opportunities for physician assistant training at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This program will leverage the expertise of military medics to strengthen the health care profession and reduce veteran unemployment. A perfect example of the way veteran medics can. when given the chance. successfully enter into a civilian health care profession is the story of Staff Sergeant Victor Arvizu. who valiantly served for 20 years as a combat medic in the Middle East and South Pacific. From taking blood samples to pulling out shards of glass from the chests of soldiers to suturing wounds and inserting chest tubes. Sergeant Arvizu developed a special skill set that translated into a successful career when he returned home. Sergeant Arvizu was able to use this expertise to gain employment as a health tech at a Veterans Affairs clinic in my south Florida district. But there are too many veterans in my district and nationwide who are still struggling to translate their expertise and skills into employment in the civilian workforce. We need initiatives that will create more stories like Sergeant Arvizus.
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Thank you. Our veterans make the ultimate sacrifice for our country. and now we need to do our part by providing them with opportunities to use their skill sets. I am proud that this bill includes language that will help to do just that. I urge support of the bill.
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chair. as we consider H.R. 4486. the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. it is crucial that we protect American workers from any efforts to weaken or repeal the provisions under DavisBacon or the use of project labor agreements (PLAs) in federally funded or assisted construction projects. The DavisBacon Act is used to set fair wage rates and benefits that contractors or subcontractors must use to compensate their laborers during the construction. alteration. or repair of public buildings. Project labor agreements are collective bargaining agreements used to establish the terms and conditions of employment for specific construction projects. Both are important tools in ensuring that American workers receive fair pay and treatment for federal contract work. and that taxpayer dollars are being used effectively during public construction projects. H.R. 4486 must not be used as the vehicle to strip American workers of their rights to fair pay and treatment for federal contract work. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act should remain about funding critical infrastructure projects in support of our national defense. and to bring reliable benefits and medical care to our men and women in uniform. Mr. Chair. any efforts to weaken the DavisBacon Act will only serve to harm American taxpayers and workers. The provisions under DavisBacon and specific PLAs are used to ensure that federal dollars are used responsibly and effectively when building up our nations infrastructure. DavisBacon and PLAs bring needed oversight to federal contract work. while preserving fair compensation for workers. I urge my colleagues to oppose any amendments to H.R. 4486 that would weaken these protections.
Date: 2014-04-30
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. Seeing no other speakers. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Texas .
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I yield myself 30 seconds just to note that the Government Printing Office has been in business. doing the work. beyond the scope of printing the Federal Register. for more than 100 years. It is also important to note that they specifically contract with the private sector to print a myriad of documents. and they are not the only institution that prints documents. Madam Chair. I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia .
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. at this time. I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New York . our distinguished ranking member of the full Appropriations Committee.
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. at this time. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia . our distinguished ranking member of the Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee.
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chair. I also rise in opposition to my Florida colleagues amendment. which seeks to dictate to other Members how to spend their office budgets. It is important to note that I also do not lease a vehicle. The bill already sets a limit on what Members can spend on vehicle leases to ensure that costs are appropriately controlled. The Nugent amendment would go further and prevent longterm vehicle leases unless they are classified as mobile district offices. The problem with the gentleman from Floridas amendment is the same as we have had with other similar amendments in the past that have sought to restrict or eliminate Members use of funds for their office budgets. We have Members that represent entire States or very large geographic areas. Removing transportation options for Members trying to effectively represent their constituents forces a onesizefitsall approach to serving our congressional districts. and we know that is not reasonable nor does it make sense. The House makes statements of disbursements available to the public so that our constituents can judge us on the purchases that we make. Each Member has to answer to his or her constituents if they spend inappropriately or if they make purchases that are at odds with the sensibilities of those that sent the Member to office. We dont need to dictate to each other how we can most effectively do our jobs. With that. Madam Chair. I urge the defeat of this wellintentioned but misguided amendment.
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman. I rise today in strong support of the gentlelady from Californias amendment. which would provide an additional $500.000 to the Office of Compliance. The funding is intended for the office to provide mandatory sexual harassment training for all congressional offices in the House of Representatives. Surveys find that anywhere from 25 to 31 percent of women in the United States have experienced sexual harassment at work. with the majority of women reporting that the harasser was a direct supervisor or senior to them. Sexual harassment creates counterproductive. hostile. and potentially dangerous working environments. not only threatening the emotional and physical wellbeing of women. but also womens job performance and security. There is no reason to think the House of Representatives is immune to this problem. The House of Representatives should not be exempt from providing proper training to identify. prevent. and report sexual harassment. as many private institutions undertake. Additionally. this type of training is already mandatory for all executive branch agencies. It is time that we follow suit to ensure that the entire Federal Government is setting a model example for safety and respect in the workplace. To that end. I have cosponsored Representative SPEIERS resolution. which amends the rules of the House to require that the mandatory annual ethics training offered to Members. officers. and employees of the House include the specific program of training in the prevention and deterrence of sexual harassment in employment. I urge support of this amendment and thank the gentlelady for her leadership on this issue. and I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

We thank the gentleman and appreciate his support. At this time. I would like to yield the balance of our time in opposition. even though no one is speaking in opposition to this very important amendment. to the gentlelady from Michigan
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chairman. I also yield back the balance of my time and thank the gentlelady from California for her amendment.
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair. I rise in opposition to the gentlemans amendment which seeks to cut over $3 million from the Architect of the Capitols Botanic Gardenthe peoples Botanic Garden. Now. I understand the gentleman from Arizona is trying to generate headlines by attempting to cut muchneeded funding to one of the most beloved destinations in Washington. D.C.. our Nations Capital. but this is not the way to fix our Nations deficit. Over 200 years ago. George Washington had a vision for our Capital City to include a botanic garden that would demonstrate and promote the important role plant life plays in our Nation. It may seem trivial. but the Botanic Garden. established in 1820. is one of the oldest botanic gardens in the United States. It is also one of the most visited destinations on the Capitol complex. In fact. I know it is my own childrens favorite place to visit when they come to Washington. D.C.. and often our first stop. Our constituents sent us here to do real work and look for real solutions to the deficit. not to try to score cheap political points by attacking important institutions that have already taken a fiscal hit. like the Botanic Garden. The gentleman says that no lineitem or opportunity can be looked over when it comes to reducing our deficit. Yet. I urge the gentleman if he is looking for ways to significantly reduce our deficit. to urge the House Republican leadership to address comprehensive immigration reform. which would result in a $900 million reduction in the deficit over the next 20 years. Going after a garden isnt the answer. In fact. I think it is important to note that since President Obama took office. our deficit has been cut by more than 50 percent as a percentage of our GDP. With that. I urge the Members to defeat this illadvised amendment. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma .
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. this amendment cuts the small inflationary increase of $243.000 provided to the Capitol Visitor Center in this bill. This small increase is needed for the Capitol Visitor Center to keep up with inflation in order to provide the same level of service to our constituents next year as they are providing this year. When is enough enough? My colleague must not be aware that the Capitol Visitor Center is 7 percent below the funding level that they were in fiscal year 2010. They have already contributed their fair share to deficit reduction. If my colleague is serious about reducing the national debt and the deficit. then I would suggest that he stop voting to repeal the Affordable Care Act because the recent CBO estimate is that there would be a net increase of $109 billion to the deficit between 2013 and 2022 if the Affordable Care Act is repealed. Perhaps he can call on his own leadership to reduce the deficit by $900 million by taking up and passing comprehensive immigration reform. When I was chair of this subcommittee. I inherited a fiscal disaster in cost overruns during the construction of the Capitol Visitor Center. We were collaboratively and in a bipartisan way able to bring that project in for a soft landing and slow the hemorrhaging of Federal funds for a project that a Republican majority began. Now. we recognized that the responsible thing was to ensure that this facility had the tools necessary to succeed. so that our visitors could have an informative and welcoming space to visit their government and to understand our democracy. so it baffles me that we would see an amendment that goes after the very organization that interacts with our constituents nearly every day. I want those working in the Capitol Visitor Center to know that we appreciate the work they do. They are essential to the experience our constituents have when visiting our Nations Capitol. With that. I urge defeat of the amendment. Madam Chair. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oklahoma .
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Chair. as a breast cancer survivor and one of the 129 million Americans who live in this country with a preexisting condition. I am thankful for the Affordable Care Act and the peace of mind it established on January 1 when. never again. an insurance company in this country could drop us or deny us coverage. the coverage that the gentleman from Georgia has repeatedly voted to take away from millions of Americans. This amendment would cut the Capitol Visitor Center by $243.000. when we need to make sure that they have the cost of inflation increase. so they can continue to provide the good service that they provide to our constituents. so we can continue to educate Americans and everyone around the world about the finest democracy in the world. Madam Chair. I urge Members to vote against this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2014-05-01
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman. regretfully. because I know how passionate the gentleman from New Jersey is about this important issue. Madam Chairman. I rise in opposition to this wellintentioned amendment. which seeks to add $2.5 million to reestablish the Office of Technology Assessment. which did have an important scope of work for Congress during its existence in the 1990s. Unfortunately. the amendment takes the funding from the House Historic Buildings Revitalization Trust Fund. This fund is critical for the longterm maintenance for such items as the Cannon House Office Buildings rehabilitation. which is an ongoing project that has already begun. The fund was established so we could bank resources over several years for the revitalization of our House office buildings and stave off cost overruns that have plagued previous projects. I have been a supporter of the Office of Technology Assessment dating back to my time as chair of this subcommittee. In fact. in fiscal years 20082010. I included $2.5 million in this bill within the Government Accountability Office for activities similar in scope to the work of OTAs. I also supported an identical amendment offered by Mr. HOLT in fiscal year 2012. as the Cannon project had not yet commenced. but now that it has. I cannot support an amendment in good conscience that would take critical resources from a fund that supports ongoing rehabilitation projects on the Capitol complex. Perhaps. had the gentleman found another source for his funding. we could have been supportive. I thank the gentleman for his passion on this issue. but I urge Members to vote against the amendment.