macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2001-03-07
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. on Sunday. in Newport News. Virginia. I attended the christening of what will soon be the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. a new magnificent aircraft carrier. Mrs. Reagan. the President. Mrs. Bush. and other leaders were in attendance to witness the christening of this vessel and to honor our former great President. It is only appropriate that this awesome vessel be named after the leader who led us to victory in the Cold War. This Nimitzclass aircraft carrier represents the "peace through strength" philosophy which played such an integral role in President Reagans successful foreign policy. It is crucial that we recognize President Reagans extraordinary foreign policy achievements. This awesome new addition to bur fleet will be a testimony to Reagans enduring legacy of military dominance. America is a better and safer place for having had President Reagan in the White House. However. we cannot sit back and admire his achievements without noting that our world remains a dangerous place. We must direct more attention to our armed forces by reforming and revitalizing our military. When President Reagan left office in 1988. the Navy had 15 aircraft carrier battle groups. and 594 ships in service. It now has 12 carrier battle groups and a fleet numbering about half as many ships. The new administration must support the needs of the military to ensure that our armed forces are well equipped and trained to carry out our Nations priorities while providing support to our allies abroad. 0l 1015
Date: 2001-03-07
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support today for H.R. 624. the Organ Donation Improvement Act. I have seen firsthand how important organ donation can be. My own sisterinlaw has been the recipient of a transplanted kidney. Unfortunately. not every person who needs an organ transplant is as lucky as she was. In 1999 alone. over 6.000 people died while on the waiting list for a donor organ. Despite continuing advances in medicine and.technology. the tragic truth is that the demand for organs drastically outstrips the supply of organ donors. According toa recent report. the number bf Americans waiting for -organ transplants more than tripled from 21.914 to 72.110 between 1990 and the end of 1999. However. annual donor transplants over the same period increased at a far slower rate. going from 15.009 in 1990 to 21.715 in H.R. 624 is an important step in addressing this crisis. This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a program to educate the public with respect to organ donation. It also authorizes grants to cover the costs of travel and subsistence expenses for individuals who make living donations of their organs. I believe that it is of the utmost importance that we encourage more individuals to share the. lifesaving benefits of organ donation. Therefore. I urge my colleagues to give this bill their full support.
Date: 2001-03-07
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Speaker. I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the two previous gentlemen from Virginia. Madam Speaker. it is with great sorrow that I come to the floor of the House today. Just 4 days ago. 21 men perished in a tragic accident in southcentral Georgia. These men represented the finest America and our military has to offer. Twentyone men died. 18 from the Commonwealth of Virginia. and 3 from the State of Florida. Twentyone men. Madam Speaker. all these men served In the Air National Guard. They regularly would give up a weekend a month and 2 weeks during the year. if not more. to serve their country. These men were returning from those 2 weeks of duty. and when many of their families gathered to greet them. they received the tragic news that their loved ones plane had crashed. While I have spoken with some family members. it is simply impossible for me to really know how they feel. But I do know this. Twentyone lives were lost tragically. With each of these 21 airmen. there is a story. A story of fathers. .a story of volunteers. of firemen and civil servants. Madam Speaker. each and everyone of these men were civil servants in the truest sense. They would give up time that could have been spent with their loved ones to serve us. the public. We often do not think about that. We should. Madam Speaker. I thought about coming down to the floor to address the critical needs of the military in light of this accident. but there will be time for that in the near future. Today is a time for mourning. Today the Commonwealth of Virginia lost 18 men. perhaps the most tragic loss of life for the Commonwealth since the Bedford unit of the Virginia National Guard was lost on DDay. While time heals all wounds. it will take time. I can say with assurance that in this circumstance. it will take a long time. My heart goes out to the families of these men. I am praying for all of them. However. Madam Speaker. I would like to extend my condolences directly to the families of Staff Sergeant Gregory Skurupey. Staff Sergeant James Ferguson. Technical Sergeant Michael East. Senior Airman Mathrew Kidd and Major Rick Watkins. I pray that our Lord will grant these families comfort and solace in their time of loss. And I pray that these men who so tragically died rest in peace and may His perpetual light shine on them.
Date: 2001-03-07
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Speaker. I support H. Con. Res. 47. a resolution which honors the 21 members of the National Guard who were killed in the crash of a National Guard aircraft on March 3. 2001 in southcentral Georgia. The Florida Air National Guard plane that was bringing 18 members of the Virginia Air National Guard home to Virginia Beach after 2 weeks of training in Florida crashed unexpectedly several days ago. The C23 Sherpa twinengine turboprop plane which included a crew of three from the Florida Army National Guard. lost control during a torrential rainstorm. The passengers were members of the 203d Red Horse Flight. a rapidresponse engineering unit of the Virginia Air National Guard based at Camp Pendleton State Military Reservation. Their mission is to deploy into remote areas and quickly construct housing. airstrips. and other critical infrastructure to support military units. The men who perished while serving in the 203d Red Horse Flight were fathers. husbands. and brothers. All of the victims were traditional members of the Guard. holding down a civilian job while serving parttime. Six Guardsmen were from Virginia Beach. three from Norfolk. and two from Chesapeake. Their commanders spoke highly of the Guardsmen. reminiscing about how close they were. many having worked construction together in their civilian jobs. Some served together in the 203d for more than 10 years. These were dedicated and patriotic men who believed in serving their country. Today. I join my colleagues in extending my condolences to the families of the fallen guardsmen. Their patriotism should never be forgotten. Their sacrifices serve to remind us that freedom should never be taken for granted. In training missions each and every day. men and women in the Armed Forces risk making the ultimate sacrifice to protect and defend America. We owe these guardsmen and their surviving family members a debt of gratitude.
Date: 2001-03-07
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I rise to support S.J. Res. 6. the Ergonomics Rule Disapproval Resolution. Small business is the engine that drives our national and local economies. I am deeply concerned about the impact that this ergonomics rule would have for these reasons. Since the Department of Labor submitted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule on ergonomics on November 14. 2000. I have heard from many small businesses in my district concerned about the consequences of this rule on their places of business. While many American businesses are committed to providing a safe workplace for their employees by improving safety standards and protecting their employees health. they are particularly troubled by the ambiguous procedures and vague definitions that OSHA promulgated through the ergonomics rulemaking. The rule holds employers responsible for paying 80 percent of an employees pay for 90 days should his or her job contribute to a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). In addition. the OSHA rule is unprecedented in scope and is based on uncertain science. both in its treatment of alleged MSD and in their relationship to the workplace. Presently. MSDs are poorly defined with no differentiation between on the job injuries and those which are preexisting. It is impossible to ignore nonworkrelated factors. yet OSHA requires employers to do so. Furthermore. there is no medical standard for confirming injuries or a standard treatment protocol. The lack of scientific or medical standards will only add to the confusion. Additionally. the OSHA ergonomics regulation may conflict with state workers compensation laws. Employers will be left to determine whether to follow a federal OSHA requirement or state workers compensation laws when any MSD occurs. The OSHA ergonomics rule overrides wellestablished state standards that set compensation levels for injured workers and determine whether or not a condition is workrelated. The National Academy of Science report concluded that "None of the common musculoskeletal disorders is uniquely caused by work exposures" and that further "research is needed to clarify such relationships." By OSHAs own estimates. this ergonomic rule will cover over 102 million employees. 18 million jobs. and 6.1 million businesses and cost almost $100 billion a year to implement. And there are no guarantees or. certainties that this rule will protect workers or have a positive and lasting impact on workplace safety. Furthermore. OSHAs rush to judgment in issuing this regulation to meet artificial deadlines exemplifies irresponsible governmental action. I will continue to support commonsense. protections for all workers. In addition. I will continue to support legislation to ensure that there are adequate workplace safety standards and rules for all workers. However. I do not believe that the OSHA ergonomics rule is the solution. For these reasons. I urge all my colleagues to support S.J. Res. 6.
Date: 2001-03-08
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. it is $363 billion over 5 years. So when one is talking in bigger numbers like that. one is absolutely wrong. Do my colleagues know what? This is a great day for every American who pays taxes. because today we are going to give each and every American some of their own money back. Unlike the Democrats. Republicans know that the surplus is the peoples money. not the governments money. It is a tax surplus. With a slowing economy and public confidence slipping. we have got to act now because our failure to act could just make matters worse. That is irresponsible. We do represent the people of the United States. That is why every Member of Congress should vote to approve -this fair .and responsible tax relief bill. It returns money to those who need it the most. low- and middleincome families. Do not deny them their own money. They worked hard to earn it. and we ought to work just as hard to give it back.
Date: 2001-03-15
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 327. the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act of 2001. It is estimated that small business owners spend at least a billion hours each year filling out government paperwork at a cost of $100 billibn. For companies with fewer than 20 employees. paperwork regulations cost $2.017 per employee per year. For those with 20 to* 499 employees. paperwork regulations cost $1.931 per employee per year. This is simply unacceptable. Although there have been attempts to mitigate this burden in the past. they are clearly not working. In fact. the Office of Management and Budgets FY 2000 Information Collection Budget shows that there have been increases in paperwork in each of the last 5 years. Such figures reinforce the notion that the Federal Government is simply a regulatory beast. better suited to imposing complex rules and creating extra work for the American people than being a source of assistance. This has to stop. Every effort must be made to make it as easy as possible for small businesses to conduct business with. and abide by the rules of. the Federal Government. H.R. 327 goes a long way toward making this a reality. and I commend Chairman BURTON for his leadership in bringing this bill before the House so eariy in this Congress. H.R. 327 makes it easy for small businesses to find out their paperwork obligations by requiring that a comprehensive. annual list be published on the Intemet and in the Federal Register. It also requires every agency to establish a single point of contact to act as a liaison to small businesses. Finally. it requires every agency to make special efforts to reduce paperwork for businesses with fewer than 25 employees. and establishes a task force to study the feasibility of streamlining reporting requirements for all small businesses. Small businesses have a hard enough time trying to survive in the competitive marketplace. There is no reason not to minimize the amount of resources that they must divert from conducting business to complying with the Federal Government. I urge my colleagues to fully support this bill.
Date: 2001-03-20
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Madam Speaker. as a member of the Committee on International Relations. I rise today to speak in support of H. Con. Res. 41. Itis a resolution that expresses sympathy for the victims of the recent and terrible earthquakes in El Salvador. Madam Speaker. many people are unaware and uninformed about the recent earthquakes. On January 13. 2001. the earthquake struck witfi a terrible thunder. and without a doubt the aftermath shall be felt for many years. Landslides. mudslides. aftershocks and tremors continued after the first earthquake. Then exactly 1 month later on February 13. a second devastating earthquake shook El Salvador. El Salvador is a country that is no longer itself. It is a country that has been transformed by terrible and irreversible events. Without our help. it will be unable to recover. and the result will be thousands upon thousands of displaced persons. Throughout our history. Americans have always been a people who extended their hands to those in need. After World War II. we extended our hands through the Marshall Plan. After the Korean War. we helped to rebuild South Korea. Now after this tragedy. we must help El Salvador. Madam Speaker. thisconcurrent resolution accomplishes two basic goals. It expresses our sympathy and solidarity with the people of El Salvador. At the same time. it encourages support for ongoing relief and reconstruction assistance offered by the United States. other nations. and multinational organizations. I am not one to blindly support the efforts of these multinational organizations. but in this case the direct reconstruction aid offered by them can only result in good. At the same time. I must clarify that I am strongly opposed to the United Nations population fund effort in El Salvador to distribute reproductive health kits. "Madam Speaker. 1.159 people have lost their lives and 70.000 people are withouV drinking water. Only by offering the real assistance required and so easily provided by a country with our resources shall we be able to preserve and expand democracy for our posterity. Madam Speaker. now is the time. We must pass House Concurrent Resolution 41. The gentleman from Virginia
Date: 2001-03-22
Speaker: GARY MILLER (republican)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I rise to recognize the partnership that has been forged between. Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills. California. and Los Serranos Elementary School. Jack Kramer. the owner of the Los Serranos Country Club. has committed to donating $10.000 a year over the next 5 years to the Los Serranos Elementary School. The first to participate in the Chino Valley Unified School Districts new AdoptASchool program. Mr. Kramer is demonstrating one way businesses can support their local schools. Mr. Kramers- desire to improve his community is admirable and Worthy of praise. As the first business owner to participate in this program. he has set an outstanding example to other business leaders. and his generosity has most certainly set a high standard. However. most noteworthy is Mr. Kramers reason for participating. His simple statement. "its worthwhile." says everything about education.
Date: 2001-03-22
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. news came last week that the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island that has taken municipal waste from New York City is scheduled to be closed in a couple of weeks. a few months ahead of what was expected. Now that Fresh Kills will soon be closing. the problem of municipal waste being hauled interstate becomes all the more acute. Virginians are certainly not fond of the trash trucks coming down 195. bringing outofstate garbage through their communities to dump sites in the State. Not only is the trash unwanted. but the added largetruck traffic has made many local rural roads unsafe. State legislative efforts to stem this invasion of garbage into the Commonwealth have been frustrated by Federal courts labeling trash as "commerce." and thus subject to only Congress regulation pursuant to the commerce clause of the Constitution. This morning I am urging my colleagues in Congress to pass tough legislation that will empower States to limit the amount of trash being brought within their borders. The closing of Fresh Kil1lmk this legislation all the more urgent. since New York is apparently counting on exporting even more of their trash. Virginians do not want this garbage coming into their communities. and I ask Congress help in getting action on this problem.
Date: 2001-03-28
Speaker: JO ANN DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to draw attention to what I believe is a serious deficiency in the budget resolution for fiscal year 2002. Mr. Chairman. while I commend the gentleman from Iowa for his hard work on the budget resolution. I would be remiss if I did not speak to the yearly military budget shortfalls of between $50 billion and $100 billion per year. Mr. Chairman. if we do not address this reality now. we are facing a budgetary train wreck that is simply unavoidable. My concern is that this budget only allows for marginal improvements. Mr. Chairman. we must push beyond marginal improvements. This requires a dualtrack approach. While we plan for the realities of the 21st centurys many challenges. we must take care of the force that we are fielding today and ensure peace through strength. I do not believe that we adequately address this in the budget resolution. however. I intend to suppqrt this budget resolution and take it as a goodfaith effort. but I do so with reservations. Mr. Chairman. I look forward to working with the gentleman from Arizona to address military funding shortfalls during the authorization process and with the Committee on Appropriations.
Date: 2001-03-28
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I just say God bless our President. George W. Bush. Finally. we have a President who wants to limit government bureaucracy so the people can have more. Compared with the Blue Dog budget. the Republican budget sets in place common sense priorities that are good for America and simple to understand. First. the Republican plan gives the people some of their money back because the tax surplus is really theirs. not ours. EJ 1245 Second. the Republican proposal pays down the public debt by $2 trillion. and it protects defense. Third. our plan protects Social Security and Medicare by locking away every penny of the trust fund surplus. Fourth. it stops Federal spending at 4 percent. That means to us in America that the era of tax increases and runaway government spending has ended. It means that Washington bureaucrats better run for cover. because this President. for the first time in 8 years. -is going to put people first. not a bloated Federal Government. Furthermore. the people of America should know this: President Bush is going to be granting every American a pardon from high taxes because he will sign. not veto. elimination of the marriage penalty and the death tax. The Republican budget is responsible. fair. and above all. good for our economy. It is not a Blue Dog budget. it is an American budget that we need to vote for. the Republican budget. Vote for a strong America. Vote for freedom. Vote for the Republican budget.
Date: 2001-03-28
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Chairman. I rise today to offer my specific thanks to the gentleman from Iowa and the rest of the Committee on the Budget on both sides for including an amendment by the gentleman from Virginia . my good friend. that would maintain the nearly 20yearold tradition of pay parity between military and civilian Federal employees. As many of my colleagues already know. the pay rates for both civilian and military personnel have fallen significantly below those of their private sector counterparts. Very recently. the Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report that confirmed that even now. more than 10 years after the enactment of the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act. FEPCA. civilian and military employees are paid 32 percent and 10 percent respectively less than their private sector counterparts. The Committee on the Budget has taken the first important step for protecting the 20year tradition of pay parity between military and civilian Federal employees. I would like to thank my very good friend and neighbor. the gentleman from Virginia . for leading the cause of the. committee and the gentleman from Iowa for accepting this. Without this and the help of the chairman of the Committee on the Budget we would not have had this included in the fiscal year 2002 budget. A few words about the bigger picture. Mr. Chairman. The budget we have proposed is good for Americas future. It shows a strong commitment to the fiscal responsibility that has long been lacking here in Washington. We are committed to paying down the national debt by providing $2.3 trillion for this purpose. That is the most that we can pay. The substitute pays down more of the debt that we can pay because of the longterm. noncallability of some of the government bonds. which leads me to suspect this money would lay around Washington and could be spent on other programs. It also recognizes that the American people deserve to keep more of their hardearned money by providing tax relief for every family that pays taxes. That. Mr. Chairman. is only fair. It does not do so at the expense of important programs such as Medicare. In fact. it incorporates the vital protections we passed overwhelmingly in H.R. 2 by keeping the Medicare part A surplus off limits for any purpose other than for Medicare itself or paying down the debt until necessary reforms are made. It recognizes the vital role the Federal Government plays -in health care by providing a $2.8 billion increase for NIH. Finally. it reflects the obligation we have to the future of our youngest citizens by increasing education spending by $47.5 billion over the next 10 years. including an 11.5 percent increase for fiscal year 2002. the largest percentage increase for any department. Mr. Chairman. this budget is a clear reflection of our priorities. It protects our senior citizens. it - teaches the young. it improves the Nations health care economically. physically and mentally. I urge my colleagues to give it their support.