macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 1988-09-08
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding. and I will be happy to do so. Mr. Speaker. approximately I month ago I brought to the floor of the House of Representatives a bill that was desperately needed to provide assistance to farmers severely affected by the drought of 1988. This measure was introduced and passed in an expeditious manner to ensure that farmers would get the help they so badly needed. The effects of the drought of 1988 go far beyond the Farm Belt. however. Throughout the Western United States. savage wildfires are now raging as a result of the extremely dry conditions that persist in many of the Nations forest lands. States like Wyoming. Montana. Idaho. Washington. Oregon. and California have been hardest hit. In these 6 States. 27 major fires are burning more than 1.1 million acres. High winds and extremely low humidity have exacerbated the extremely dry conditions resulting from the drought. All State and National Forest lands in the northern Rockies have been closed to the public due to the hazardous weather conditions and severity of the fires. Nearly 600 thousand acres of the magnificent Yellowstone National Park have already burned. As I speak. Forest Service. Park Service. State. and local firefighters are making a valiant effort to save Cooke City and Silver Gate. MT. and the worldfamous Old Faithful visitors complex in Yellowstone National Park from complete destruction. Nationwide. more than 3.7 million acres of National Park and forest lands have burned so far this year. Forest Service officials fear that even more destruction could result from existing and new fires should the Service be unable to muster the additional resources needed to battle these blaes. For this reason. the Forest Service has requested the Congress help to provide them with the authority needed to enlist the aid of the Canadian Forest Service and the firefighting resources at their disposal. At present. the United States and Canada cooperate under two agreements in dealing with natural disasters such as fire. However. the Forest Service has not been able to directly reimburse the Canadians for resources. such as aircraft and other firefighting equipment. that might be brought into the United States to aid in fire suppression efforts under these agreements. This has created delays in obtaining Canadian assistance in fighting firesassistance that is now desperately needed. To correct this problem. I have introduced H.R. 5262. the Temporary
Date: 1988-09-08
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2641. the Senate bill Just passed.
Date: 1988-09-09
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I would like to advise the membership that may not be acquainted with the fact that the House and Senate last night approved legislation to assist in the firefighting efforts in the Northwest that this is a national tragedy. Mr. Speaker. we are seeing the splendor of those forests au stands of pine that are being burned that will not be seen again for two or three generations. We would like the American people to know that we in the Congress care. that we are concerned. and this legislation in part will assist in the endeavor at this time to try and suppress the fires.
Date: 1988-09-09
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speakers table the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 374) to provide for a settlement of the labormanagement dispute between the Chicago & North Western Transportation Co.. and the United Transportation Union. and ask for its immediate consideration In the House and that the previous question be ordered to final passage without intervening motion.
Date: 1988-09-09
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker. the purpose of Senate Joint Resolution 374. which the House is now considering. is to settle a longstanding labormanagement dispute between the Chicago & North Western Railroad and the United Transportation Union. This dispute is over "crew consist". that Is. the size of train crews. The Chicago & North Western currently operates with fourman crewsan engineer. a conductor. the two brakemen. The railroad has contended that it can in most cases operate with only twoman crews. just as many of its competitors trains are operated. Most importantly. CNWs financial condition is such that it must have relief from current crew consist rules in order to survive in the long run. However. the reduction in crew size was opposed by the UTU. which insisted on maintaining fourman crews. The CNW initiated formal collective bargaining on its crew size proposal on May 15. 1987. It followed the procedures mandated by the Railway Labor Act. including collective bargaining. mediation. and. finally. submission of the dispute to a Presidential Emergency Board. which was appointed in an attempt to resolve the issue. In a decision issued on July 1. 1988. the Emergency Board issued its report and recommendatlons. The Board ruled that CNW coufd reduce to threeman crews under certain circumstances. The Emergency Board also granted to employees who resign voluntarily a severance payment of $50.000. Employees who are laid off Involuntarily would receive $45.000. The Emergency Boards ruling is not binding. however. Following the Boards decision. the parties had 30 days to continue to negotiate. Negotiations failed. and on August 4. 1988. when the statutory coolingoff period ended. the UTU went on strike. On the same day. the House passed Senate Joint Resolution 356. which extended the cooling off period to midnight. last night. Unfortunately. the dispute is still not settled and at 9 this morning CNW management unilaterally cut the size of Its train crews. The UTU promptly went on strike. and the entire railroad was shut down. Some 40.000 commuters in the Chicago area have been stranded without rail service. And shippers along thousands of miles of rail lines in the Midwest are without alternative transportation. This is particularly a hardship for grain farmers who have no other economical way to get their product to market. The effect of the resolution we are now considering would be to end the strike and to make binding on the parties the recommendations of the Presidential Emergency Board. It is a last resort. and is being considered only after all other avenues for settlement have been exhausted. This legislation is important to thousands of people and businesses in the Midwest. It enjoys strong bipartisan support I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Date: 1988-09-09
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speakers table the Senate Joint resolution (S.J. Res. 374) to provide for a settlement of the labormanagement dispute between the Chicago & North Western Transportation Co. and the United Transportation Union. and ask for its immediate consideration In the House. and that the previous question be ordered to final passage without intervening motion.
Date: 1988-09-09
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks. and include extraneous matter therein. on Senate Joint Resolution 374. the Senate joint resolution just passed.
Date: 1988-09-13
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 3345. the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act Amendments of 1988. The Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs has worked closely with the Committee on Government Operations to fashion this excellent legislation. This close cooperation and the understanding reached between the two committees concerning consideration of legislation relating to this subject matter. allows the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs to waive Its consideration of H.R. 3345 without prejudice. The understanding between the two committees which govirns the jurisdiction over this subject matter is described in two documents contained in the committees report on this bill. The first Is a letter from my distinguished colleague. Chairman BROOKS: H.R. 3345. as amended. contains certain provisions regarding the Cost Accounting Standards Board which fall within the jurisdiction of your Committee. Inclusion of these provisions Is not in any way intended to diminish the jurisdiction of the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs over these issues The second document. also contained in the committees report. Is a letter Congresswoman OAKAR and I sent to Speaker WRIGHT waiving the committees consideration of HR. 3345: We have reached an understanding with the Government Operations Committee that the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs would retain Jurisdiction over the Board to the extent that the new Cost Accounting Standards Board promulgates regulations on matters that were within the Jorisdiction of the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs when that Board wa&s authorized through the Defense Production Act. In short. the agreement with the Government Operations Committee is that Section 5 of H.R. 3345 does not in any way diminish the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs. As the largest single purchaser of goods and services In the economy. the U.S. Government. and the American taxpayer. can no longer afford to be without the protections contained in this legislation. Chairman BROOKS and his Committee. in cooperation with other committees. has brought us legislation which deserves the support of the membership of the House. I urge my colleagues to support the much needed legislation.
Date: 1988-09-14
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture may have until midnight. September 16. 1988. to file the reports on S. 659. the Federal Insecticide. Fungicide. and Rodenticide Act Amendments of 1988 and II.R. 5056. the Agricultural Research Act of
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: JACK GIBBONS (democrat)
Chamber: S

Director. U.S. Congress. Office of Technology Assessnent. Washington. DC. DEAR JACK: As you may know. on August 1. 1988. Senators Thomas A. Dasehlie and John F. Kerry introduced S. 2675. legislation to provide permanent presumptions of service connection for nonHodgkins lym. phoma (NIIL) and softtissue sarcoma (STS) arising in Vietnam veterans. In their August S. 1988. "Dear Colleague" letter discussing S. 2675. Senators Daschle and Keiry provided a list (copy enclosed) of studies which they stated support establishing such perinanent presumptions of service connection for NIIL and STS for purposes of serviceconnected disability compensation and dependency and Indemnity compensation. As the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. we are writing to request that the Office of Technology Assessment review and provide comments on those studies to us and to the House Veterans Affairs Committee. We would appreciate your evaluation. with respect to each study individually. of the scientific methods used. tile validity of the statistical analysis. and the strength of the studys findings. In addition. we would appreciate tile OTAs views as to whether these studies. evaluated and considered Individually as well as cumulatively. along with any other studies which the OTA believes are relevant. support establishing a permanent presumption of service connection for Vietnam veterans with NIIL or STS at this tilme without allowing for the results from the forthcoming report on the Centers for Disease Controls Selected Cancers Study. expected in early 1990. We anticipate that tile Senate will be voting on Agent Orange benefits letislation next month. Therefore. in order to enable us appropriately to evaluate the merits of all such legislation which is pending. we request that you report the OTAs views to us on this matter by August 25. Jack. we regret the short turnaround time and greatly appreciate your accommodating our legislative schedule InI this nlatter. as well as your continuing cooperation and assistance in this and other areas. We look forward to your response. With warm regards. Cordially.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. and I thank the chairman of the committee and the subcommittee. the ranking members and everyone who has worked on this legislation. I might mention. Mr. Speaker. just last night the Senate passed another bill dealing with pollution on the Rio Grande. This bill make the International Boundary and Water Commission the lead agency that will negotiate between the United States and Mexico and provide the leadership to clean up the Rio Grande. This is Just one of the issues from Tijuana down to the gulf. Tijuana to Brownsville. This is one of the things that we mentioned and the reason for this legislation. For 100 years they have been working in a unified manner with the. Mexican Government and the United States Government. on everything having to do with the Rio Grande. the border. the dellncation of the border. the waters and the lands adjacent to the Rio Grande. Mr. Speaker. I thank all my colleagues for their support of this legislation.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill to amend the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 to provide for drug and alcohol testing for railroad employees. as amended.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. the bill we are considering today. the Railroad Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 1988. would require the most stringent and farreaching drug and alcohol testing program for rail employees ever to be introduced in Congress. A major feature of this bill is that it will for the first time require the random testing of all rail employees in safetysensitive positions. That means all employees whose Jobs involve the
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill to amend the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 to provide for drug and alcohol testing for railroad employees. the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers. punctuation. and cross references. and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House In passing the bill.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which i revise and extend their remarks. and to include extraneous matter. on H.R. 4748. the bill just passed.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. if the gentleman will yield. the intention. with regard to registrants who inform the Administrator of their decision not to seek reregistration. is to have the Administrator proceed to cancel the registration of the pesticide. For this purpose. the Administrator may treat such a registrant in the same manner as a registrant who fails to notify the Administrator whether or not he intends to seek reregistration. At the Administrators discretion. notice of a registrants decision not to seek reregistration may also be treated as a request for voluntary cancellation since. under FIFRA. the term "registration" is defined to include "reregistration." and thus a decision not to seek reregistration is equivalent to requesting that ones registration be canceled.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma and also say that we appreciate his cooperation throughout this process.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. my understanding of the gentlemans request was for permission to insert the Senate report language at this point.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished majority whip. the gentleman from California .
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: BE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker. would the gentleman from California please make clear the intent of this legislation as It applies to State preemption in this area?
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

I fully support the objective of eliminating unnecessary testing by encouraging similar data requirements by the Federal and State governments. I would be pleased to examine this issue in greater detail in the next Congress. when we expect to revisit many of those issues that we had to put aside in order to achieve some progress on FIFRA this year.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Iowa for his cooperation in the committee and his hard work throughout the process and for managing the legislation here today. Let me add also. Mr. Speaker. that this is the work of many Members. The distinguished chairman of the subcommittee. Mr. BROWN of California. the distinguished ranking minority member. Mr. ROBERTS of Kansas. have done great work and to them we owe a debt of gratitude for their leadership in this endeavor. I might mention. Mr. Speaker. that with this legislation we basically pick up where our distinguished former colleague. Berkley Bedell. of Iowa. left us when he engineered and passed FIFRA legislation through the House three times in the last Congress. Unfortunately. differences in the legislation could not be resolved in the final minutes of the last Congress but now we pick up where he left off and I assure the Members that we miss the gentlemans leadership and his guidance in this endeavor but the Members who are now heading the effort have built on his progress and are meeting the challenge which he left us. I assure you. Mr. Speaker. that this bill reflects the art of the possible. This is what we could put together. this is where we could get consensus. This legislation will not satisfy everyone but this is what we could move at this point. We will continue working on other Issues and we assure everyone concerned that we will resume our endeavors in this area until we can ensure the safe and responsible use of pesticides. We will continue over efforts to see that registration. reregistration and the general oversight of EPA and its FIFRA activities remain a primary concern of the Committee on Agriculture. We in the Congress and in the Committee on Agriculture will continue our deliberations as something of this Importance should be a continuous process. Just to Inform the Members. Is shapIng the legislation before us we temporarily set aside some of the more contentious items that. franklyneeded more time to resolve. We intend to revisit those issues in the days ahead. Mr. Speaker. I have a letter from the office of management and budget directed to me as chairman of the committee that I would ask unanimous consent to insert in the RECORD at this point. The letter referred to is as follows:
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. once again I thank all of my colleagues and everyone on the outside who cooperated with us. I ask them to continue their interests and to continue with their patience and understanding. We must. and we will go forward. and I hope that my colleagues approve this legislation today as a further step in the process of protecting the public health and safety.
Date: 1988-09-20
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 659. the Senate bill Just passed.
Date: 1988-09-22
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs be permitted to sit during proceedings of the House under the 5minute rule today to mark up H.R. 4645. the general capital increase for the World Bank. The ranking minority member concurs in this request.
Date: 1988-09-22
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. all of us in the House support the Government of Mexico In Its efforts to stem the tide on drug traffickIng. But all too often some of the good news never reaches this chamber. And I want to take this opportunity to show our colleagues that Mexico Is working against this drug problem. The Information which I wish to share with you today relates to our friends in the Republic of Mexico and I think it should be of interest to all of us in relation to our efforts at combating the illicit use of drugs. their production and transportation around the world. But before I do solet me state that on September 1. 1983. 1 had the honor to be the personal guest of the President of Mexico. His Excellency Miguol do Ia Madrid Hurtado. for his last State of the Union address to the Mexican Congress. Afterwards. it was my pleasure and great honor to have a private visit with him. We discussed many matters of mutual interest. One of the main issues was drugs and his own interest in and dedication to continueduring the last days of his administrationwith his commitment to do everything within his power to combat this serious problem. He had mentioned this same commitment in his address to the Congress. This information which I now share with you is proof of this personal commitment which President do Ia Madrid has maintained. and to his honor and credit we applaud his latest action on this endeavor. The following text comes from President de Ia Madrids Office of Social Communication:
Date: 1988-09-22
Speaker: THEODORE WEISS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

" They use those terms. left and right. So I admit that I am a man of the right. Now. would the gentleman say. as I am willing to concede. that most people on the gentlemans side of the aisle are liberals and most of them are very proud to be liberals and use that term. Would the gentleman not say that a majority on this side of the aisle on the right are conservative?
Date: 1988-09-23
Speaker: DE LA GARZA (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture may have until midnight tonight. September 23. 1938. to file the report on H.R. 5056. the Agricultural Research Act of 1988.
Date: 1988-09-23
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill. H.R. 4748. the Railroad Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 1988. which was passed by the House last Tuesday. September 20. 1988. the Clerk be authorized to Include the text of the amended bill that the managers handling the bill understood was at the desk. as follows: H.R. 4748 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.
Date: 1988-09-23
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. the bill. H.R. 4748. as amended. was passed by the House this past Tuesday. under suspension. However. it was later discovered that a clerical error had been made in the official copy of the bill. and certain changes which had been agreed to by the maJority and the minority had not been Included.
Date: 1988-09-26
Speaker: THOMAS A. LUKEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend tie rules and pass the bill to amend the Departnnt of Tra nsiport at ion Act to reauthorize local rail service assistanee. is atnended.