macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-10-07
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Absolutely. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. and I say to my friend from Ohio that it is good to get the band back together. It is really incredible that it has been 10 years. I dont really want to think about the birthday that I just had and where that puts me. I guess a few years after we started the 30Something Working Group at least I and our former colleague Kendrick Meek from Florida passed the status of being 30something. and we were 30somethings in spirit while we were doing that for a little while. I am a little longer past being a 30something now. but it is absolutely critical that we have an opportunity now to pass the torch. Mr. RYAN. to the next generation of 30somethings who are focused on making sure that. as we go from generation to generation. as Democrats. we are focused on making sure about those cornerstones of a middle class life that we talked about 10 years ago. making sure that you dont have to choose between buying your groceries or filling your gas tank so you can get to work. which then. if you cant. would cause you not to be able to afford your groceries. Now. 10 years later. Mr. SWALWELLI had young children back then. Mr. RYAN was single. and now he has young children. My twins are actually 2 years from going to college. so the student debt crisis that has been looming and has existed and has overly burdened so many Americans is now something that my family has trepidation about. So it is incredibly timely that we relaunch this working group and make sure that the issues that are important to that next generation get the attention and the focus on the floor of the United States House of Representatives.
Date: 2015-10-07
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

In response to your question. whether I have heard this in my district. absolutely. The average debt that an individual carries in student loan debt is about $29.000. That is crushing debt for years to be burdened with. Even President Obama. not long prior to becoming President. he and the First Lady had both talked about how they only just had paid off their student loan debt just before he took office. Imagine into your not even late fifties. late forties. still paying off your debt from college and postgraduate school. It is just outrageous. Yet Republicansand lets make sure that we zero in on brass tacks hereRepublicans have consistently denied Americans the opportunity to reform the student loan program so that we can ensure that when they are paid a salary that it is in line with how much they have to actually pay back out of their monthly paycheck to actually make sure that they can make ends meet.
Date: 2015-10-07
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Well. what hasnt happened is a focus in a bipartisan way on making sure that we make college affordability a top priority. I will tell you that I know my husband and I are at the intersection in our family of wanting to make sure that. as we send our twins. two at once. off to college 2 years from now. we will be able to. one. be able to supplement as much as possible their college education so that. knowing what we know about the potential for them to have that debt burden when they graduate. we can relieve that possibility. and trying to figure out how the heck we are going to add that doublewhammy expense when they start college and at the same time being pretty panicked about how much debt they will have to go in themselves if we cant really make sureand families all acrossless about me and more about the sort of average middle class family that is trying to make sure that they can make ends meet for their whole family and make sure that they can send their kids off to start their lives. which is why President Obama and congressional Democrats have proposed that the first 2 years of college be free. I will tell you that I have a lot of folks at home in south Florida who have said to me. "You know. if I only had to worry about my kids junior and senior year and how we were going to pay for that and we knew that at least they could get an AA degree." Over 100 years ago. when we established free universal access to public education in elementary grades and eventually secondary grades. no one would question. That was considered controversial back then. No one today would consider universal free public education. except maybe some of our friends on the other side of the aisle. Actually. I take that back. But you wouldnt question. you wouldnt think. that universal access to public education should be free. We are at the point now in the 21st century where there shouldnt be any question that the first 2 years of college should be free. and we need our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in that.
Date: 2015-10-07
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

Because I want to engage as we used to do. And I know that you do this as well. But I just want to follow up on what you just said because the gentleman from California posed the question and stated the fact that millennials today really arent starting new businesses. You would thinkand we envision them to be the startup generation. They are living in a startup era. but. yet. they cant see it. To use the vernacular of the gentleman of Florida. Congressman MEEKS. when we were throwing things around on the House floor 10 years ago. lets put the cookie on the bottom shelf here. If. as you just said. they are saddled with the burden of significant debt coming out of college when they get a degree. it is very difficult for them to see a pathway to develop that small business. to envision being a pioneer of the next great industry. So we are literally saddling them with a heavy burden as they leave what is supposed to be the jumpingoff point for the next phase of their lives. We are supposed to be passing them the baton so that they can move America forward. It is just not fair. It is not right. And our friends on the other side of the aisle are part of the problem.
Date: 2015-10-07
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I wanted to share my own personal story very briefly. You know. I happened to get married fairly young at 24 years old. Graduating from a public university. the University of Florida. without debt. the progress I was able to make at the beginning of my adult life. at the beginning of my professional life. enabled me to have a much longer ramp and see many more possibilities because I didnt have that debt. My husband and I were able to buy our first house right after we got married. and we have been able to make sure that we can make choices that will maximize our opportunities to ensure that our children. when we had them and now are raising them. have opportunities. It is so sad that the millennial generation really doesnt see it. doesnt believe it. and that is because there is obstacle after obstacle being thrown in their way right from the start of their most formative years.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. words cannot explain the singular honor it is to stand in the well of the House of Representatives in the Congress of the United States of America. Mr. Speaker. I stand here today on a mission of mercy. I believe a brief vignette can best explain what a mission of mercy is as I apply it to the circumstances for which I rise. Mr. Speaker. prior to coming to Congress. I served for more than a quarter of a century as a judge of a small claims justice court. I can remember an occasion when a mother testified on behalf of her son. Her appeal to me was along these lines. She said: Judge. I am not asking you for justice. I know he was wrong. But he is my son. I know he was wrong. I am not asking for justice. I am asking you for mercy. You have within your power to do justice or you can grant mercy. and I beg that you grant mercy to my son. That was her hue and cry. So. Mr. Speaker. as I rise today. I rise in support of H.R. 563. sponsored by the Honorable JANICE HAHN. I rise in support of this legislation. which is the Honoring Our WWII Merchant Mariners Act of 2015. This bill would establish the Merchant Marine Equity Compensation Fund. It would accord each person who served between certain datesDecember 7. 1941. through December 31. 1946a sum of $25.000. Why should they receive the $25.000? Well. Mr. Speaker. when they served in World War II. they were not accorded the benefits other members of the various Armed Forces were. In fact. it took litigation to bring them under the purview of benefits that the other members of the Armed Forces have received and are now receiving. It was in 1988 that they finally. after litigation. received these benefits. but the benefits were not applied retroactively. As a result of them not being applied retroactively. some of them didnt receive GI Bill benefits. They didnt receive home loans. Many of them. still alive. can be compensated if we grant mercy. I know that there are those who would say that they already received their just compensation as a result of the litigation and as a result of being brought within the purview of the laws that allow them to receive certain benefits. but they didnt get them retroactively. I believe. Mr. Speaker. they served honorably. As a matter of fact. approximately 9.500 of them died in service. They served their country. They bled the same blood as others when they were attacked and assaulted and when they lost limbs and their lives. They are Americans. Mr. Speaker. And I believe we should show some mercy to these Americans. We ought to accord them the opportunity to have these benefits because they were willing to risk their lives so that we could have the quality of life that we have today. So I make this hue and cry and appeal. I base it upon mercy. not justice. The arguments can be made as to whether just compensation has been accorded. but I believe that. if we show mercy. we will do the right thing for people who have done the right thing for their country.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. last week we experienced the 45th school shooting in 2015. Nearly 10.000 people have been killed by guns this year alone. yet. too many leaders respond with absolute indifference. They tell us that "stuff happens." that we should just move on. Are the 20 kids killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School just stuff happening? Are the 32 murdered at Virginia Tech just stuff happening? Are the 12 people gunned down in the Aurora. Colorado. movie theater just stuff happening? What about the 9 people killed at Umpqua Community College on Friday? This stuff has real costs to families. to friends. to our whole community. to our country. It does not have to happen. Lets make gun trafficking in illegal weapons a Federal felony and have universal background checks. Lets end the moments of silence on the floor and have. instead. votes on the floor to end gun violence.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Madam Chair. I have an amendment made in order under the rule. The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment. The text of the amendment is as follows: Page 12. after line 6. insert the following:
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Madam Chair. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I rise in support of my amendment that allows the Forest Service to establish a pilot program to execute contracts with tribes under the Indian SelfDetermination and Education Assistance Act. known as 638 contracts. 638 contracts allow tribes to manage and implement Federal programs in Indian Country. When I was the New Mexico Secretary of Health. I witnessed how successful and beneficial these contracts can be at efficiently delivering services to tribes. Through these contracts. tribes can operate hospitals. health clinics. mental health facilities. and a variety of other community health services. Having tribes manage and operate programs in their communities not only recognizes tribal selfdetermination and selfgovernance. but it also helps ensure that tribal needs are being met through traditionally and culturally appropriate methods. Although several agencies have the authority to execute 638 contracts. such as the Bureau of Land Management. Bureau of Reclamation. Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Services. the Forest Service does not have this authority. Several tribes have expressed to me that they would like to see the Forest Service have this authority. Many of the Pueblos in New Mexico have land and tribal forests adjacent to national forests. and we know that wildfires in the past can quickly affect entire regions. regardless of who owns the land. In fact. the Las Conchas wildland fire. which was one of the largest wildfires in New Mexico history. started on June 26. 2011. in the Santa Fe National Forest and burned more than 156.000 acres in New Mexico. including land belonging to Pueblos of Santa Clara. Ohkay Owingeh. San Ildefonso. Pojoaque Jemez. Cochiti. and Kewa. So it is imperative that the Forest Service and tribes actively work together to comanage forests. This amendment previously passed by voice vote as part of the Resilient Federal Forest Act. which the House passed this July. I urge my colleagues to once again support my amendment. which will improve the Forest Services ability to partner with tribes to work on projects that impact tribal lands and forests. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: BEN RAY LUJAN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New Mexico

Mr. Speaker. this is the final amendment to the bill. which does not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted. the bill will immediately proceed to final passage. as amended. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to offer an amendment to protect sacred sites across America. This issue is not a new one. We have been part of many debates here on the floor and in committee on this important issue. The amendment is straightforward. It reads: "Nothing in this Act shall contravene the authority of the President to avoid adversely affecting the physical integrity of any site. identified as sacred by virtue of established religious significance to. or ceremonial use by. an Indian religion. under Executive Order 13007." Mr. Speaker. as we come from different faiths. we all have respect for one another. Just as we worship in different places. like churches or temples. so. too. should we have respect for these sacred places. Just as we would honor the sanctity of where our loved ones have been laid to rest. so. too. should we honor the sanctity of tribal sacred sites. Sacred sites are an essential part of the culture and heritage of tribal communities. and the degradation of these sites means a loss of identity as well as disrespect for the faith and religion and the culture and the history of our tribal brothers and sisters who are connected to these lands. Sacred sites should not be desecrated. They should be protected. I know it is a sentiment that many of us in this Congress share. Protecting sacred sites is the right thing to do. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this very important amendment. Mr. Speaker. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from New York for her comments and for being with us today as part of the Progressive Caucus. Mr. Speaker. I yield to a Member who has been outspoken on behalf of working families and American workers.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for taking the time to be with us to talk about what is such an important issue for us. Mr. Speaker. it isnt often that we get a second bite at an apple in realtime. but this is one of those opportunities that we do have. There have been a number of issues that have been raised that I believe validate from our perspective that this is not a good deal. It is not a good deal for American families. It is not a good deal for American workers. It is only a good deal for multinational corporations. We are engaging in a trade relationship with countries whose values we do not share and who. on occasions. we have actually had the opportunity to shame. I believe. Mr. Speaker. that we. as Members of Congress. can find this as an opportunity to work together to do something collectively. which is better for the American family and the American worker. We can do that at the same time we have an opportunity to have fair trade agreements and just trade agreements. With that. Mr. Speaker. I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut . a Member who has been as outspoken as any other Member in this House about the need to turn back from this flawed agreement. a leader on workers rights and human rights and womens rights and building an economy that works for average Americans.
Date: 2015-10-08
Speaker: WATSON COLEMAN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for her eloquent and compelling words. Whenever she speaks up for the American people. she does so in such a convincing way and a way that is backed by empirical data. not just anecdotes and not just sort of dreams. but that which she already knows. So I appreciate and feel particularly honored to represent the Congressional Progressive Caucus here this evening to speak out on issues that we know are very important. vitally important. to the wellbeing of the American worker and our American families. I do pray that our congressional body can come together around an issue that affects all of us in any district that we might represent. in any corner of the United States of America. and at any economic strata that we might represent. With that. Mr. Speaker. I have no more speakers who want to address this issue this evening. I thank you for your indulgence. I yield back the balance of my time.
Date: 2015-10-09
Speaker: MICHAEL F. DOYLE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Pennsyl

vania. Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong opposition to this bill. I have been here in Congress for 21 years. and during that time. we always hear talk about we want to be energyindependent in the United States. My colleagues on both sides of the aisle always talk about the dream of energy independence. where we dont have to depend on any other country for our oil. It would change policy in the Middle East. and it would dramatically improve our national security. Well. the bad news is. Mr. Chairman. we are not energyindependent. We use 17 million barrels of oil a day. but we only produce 9 million. which means we are still importing nearly half of all the oil we use. Now. here is the good news. Mr. Chairman. Horizontal drilling and all this oil we are finding in the shale formations gives us a chance to be truly energyindependent. We could produce an additional 9 million barrels a day. and we wouldnt have to depend on any other country in the world for our oil. All we have to do is produce what we have in our own country and make sure that we have refinery capacity to take care of this light sweet crude. and we are energyindependent. So the question is. Mr. Chairman. why arent we investing in our own domestic refinery capacity to keep highpaying jobs here in the United States in the refinery industry. in the maritime trades. and in manufacturing. like steelmaking? Why arent we doing that for America while enhancing Americas security? We had the former commander of the USS Cole. Kirk Lippold. testify before our committee. He highlighted "the significant national security risks associated with greater oil imports." He said that "too many times in recent history. the U.S. has made oil deals with hostile or unfriendly governments that actually threaten our foreign policy and our national security objectives. "Lifting the export ban will undermine U.S. power projection capabilities by undermining the competitiveness of our U.S. refineries." Do we really want to undermine the U.S. military? And then we hear the story that. somehow. lifting this ban is going to help our European allies because it will reduce their dependence on Russian oil. Well. that is a myth. too. As Commander Lippold testified before our committee. "the primary recipient of this U.S. exported oil is going to be Asia. specifically. China." So we want to export U.S. oil to China and still have to import oil from countries that arent necessarily friendly to us. Why would we do that? Mr. Chairman. H.R. 702 is deeply flawed because it doesnt allow for any future oversight of oil exports under any circumstances. Even if there is an oil spike or a shortage. there is no "safety valve" to ensure that we have enough of this critical resource for our Armed Forces. our industries. and our constituents. In conclusion. Mr. Chairman. this bill undermines our national security. and we are still importing an incredible amount of oil. This just defies common sense. and we should reject it.
Date: 2015-10-09
Speaker: DAVID SCOTT (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Georgia

Mr. Chairman. ladies and gentleman. this bill is about two things. It is about jobs and it is about national security. It will give us an opportunity to get Congress to join in with my good friend from North Dakota. KEVIN CRAMER. and BRAD ASHFORD from Nebraska. because this is about jobs and nobody needs jobs more than African Americans. The hardest hit on unemployment is African American males. This allows us to be a part of being able to get language in that will help African American males get the kind of apprenticeship training with the Teamsters. with the AFLCIO. with the operating engineers. all of those unions and contractors who are rebuilding this infrastructure for this oil. Now. on national security. make no mistake about it. ladies and gentlemen. What do you think Russia is doing over in the Middle East? They want dominance over energy in the world. and he who controls the energy in the world controls the world. That is why they want to prop up Syria. because that is the seaport to get it out of the Middle East. Stand up for jobs for the American people and protect the world from Russia. Vote to lift the ban on the oil exports.
Date: 2015-10-09
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I had planned to support this bill. as a matter of fact. as a cosponsor. but since I have been unable to remove myself from the cosponsorship. I wish to speak on the record regarding my opposition to this particular bill. While I believe that Congress should consider the potential for all energy sources to meet our Nations current and future needs. I believe that this legislation lacks the proper safeguards and oversight for such a major change in our Nations energy policy. The bill does not appropriately consider the implications of our national security. the economy. consumers. and. especially. the environment. Exporting crude oil does not increase demand for oil or definitively increase the number of U.S. jobs in the energy sector. On the contrary. many U.S. jobs that are downstream in the domestic refining process may be threatened. In addition. exporting oil to foreign countries for refining purposes would likely increase overall CO2 emissions.