macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-09-16
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank the chairman for his leadership. Today we have arrived at a moment of truth on energy policy in this body. For weeks. our Republican colleagues have claimed they want a comprehensive piece of legislation. an alloftheabove piece of legislation when it comes to energy policy. Now we have just such an initiative before us on the floor of this House. and they wont take "yes" for an answer. It turns out that they want all of the above with a big asterisk next to it. It turns out it is all of the above. except lets not take away some of the taxpayer giveaways and subsidies to the big oil and gas companies and use those moneys instead for renewable energy and energy efficiency. I think the American people know what a cozy relationship there has been between the Bush White House and Big Oil. I think last week we learned just how cozy that was between the Bush Department of the Interior and the oil industry. This bill does two main things. First of all. it greatly expands opportunities for responsible offshore drilling in our country. and uses the royalties and proceeds from those drilling operations to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency. But lets not try and fool the American people. The Department of Energy has made it clear that even if you drilled on every square inch of this country today. you wouldnt see a drop in price of gas at the pump for a very long time and the price impact would be minimal. Why? The United States has 3 percent of the worlds oil reserves and guzzles 25 percent of the worlds oil. You cannot drill your way to energy independence. which is why we have the second part of this bill. which is a huge increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency. why we establish a national 15 percent renewable energy standard by 2020. That is why we redirect the subsidies away from the oil and gas industry. who are making record profits. and invest that money instead in renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is too bad that in listening to the debate today. that our Republican colleagues will not cease this opportunity to move forward together on what is a comprehensive plan. It is too bad that they refuse to break that connection with the oil and gas industry as a result of the provisions in this bill that say lets redirect those subsidies. This is a serious challenge that our country is facing. This is a serious proposal that is put forth to bridge the differences and try to move forward together on an important piece of legislation for the American people. It is unfortunate. just listening to the debate. that some of our colleagues want so badly to have a political issue to take to this election that they refuse to come together as one in this body to actually get something real done. Mr. Speaker. the American people deserve better than that. They deserve a piece of legislation that will move us forward on this very important issue. They deserve for this House to support this bill.
Date: 2008-09-16
Speaker: LORETTA SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. I thank the kind chairman for not only allowing me to speak on this. but also for all the work that youve done to put this together. I rise today in support of the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act. A lack of action by the previous Republicanled Congresses and policies of the Bush Administration have led to skyrocketing gas prices while Big Oil companies are earning their largest profits in American history. We need to act now. We need to pass a balanced energy bill. which is exactly what H.R. 6899 is. Many Americans are facing financial hardship because of our countrys energy struggles. This bill expands domestic drilling. it protects States rights to maintain control over their shores. and it allows America to move towards the future by investing in new sources of energy. Despite some of the speeches we have heard on the floor today. the American people and the States are not unanimously in favor of an offshore drilling freeforall. The looming expiration of the offshore drilling ban on September 30 would allow drilling as close- as thr~e miles offshore in my home State of California. Thats very concerning for Californians who are committed to protecting our shores from any drilling. And I support their sentiment. This bill provides a compromise. ensuring that States like California can opt out of offshore drilling. Quite frankly. it seems like those people who would be for States rights would support this provision that ensures that States are involved in the decision of whether to drill between 50 and 100 miles off of their shores. In addition. the remaining Outer Continental Shelf beyond the 100 miles would be open to oil and gas leasing. As you might imagine. that doesnt thrill Californians. but this is a compromise. its a compromise that gives States control over the waters closest to them while also advancing the Federal drilling interests further offshore. In addition to the drilling provision. this bil} will help enhance our national security and move toward energy independence by investing in renewable sources of energy. This legislation expands and extends tax incentives for renewable electricity. energy such as solar and wind and plugin hybrid cars and energyefficient homes and buildings and appliances. I urge everybody to vote for this bill.
Date: 2008-09-16
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I thank my colleague. Mr. Chairman. lets start with something we can all agree on. that the Government of the District of Columbia should pass a local law that conforms to the recent Supreme Court decision. They have done that now. As of today. the Government of the District of Columbia has passed legislation that complies with the Supreme Court ruling. So what is the issue before us today? It is not whether they should comply with the constitutional ruling. it is who gets to. decide what new constitutional law they can put in place and whether or not this body should play D.C. City Council. or whether we should pretend we are 435 mayors of the District of Columbia and substitute our judgment for the judgment of the elected leaders of our Nations capital. You know. people in this body often talk about the importance of local decisionmaking. and we have to listen to the people close to the ground. That is great to say. but the actions. at least in the substitute bill. suggest that we are not serious in that respect about what we say because what this substitute bill does is takes away from the people of the District of Columbia the democratic rights that all of our constituents have in cities and States around this country.
Date: 2008-09-16
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

If you agreed that the District of Columbia had a gun law that was consistent with the recent Supreme Court ruling. would you then agree to abide by the democratic decisions of that elected government?
Date: 2008-09-16
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

It was an emergency piece of legislation. It is now the law of the District of Columbia. I dont know if the gentlemans had a chance to review it. But if theres agreement by people reviewing this DC gun law that it is consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court decision that came down recently. then would the gentleman agree that we do not need to move forward with the substitute piece of legislation?
Date: 2008-09-16
Speaker: LINCOLN DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Tennessee

Mr. Chairman. it is good to be here to discuss what I believe is the foundation of our society and America. our Constitution. In 1787. the articles were proposed that ultimately became the foundation for our Constitution. In 1789. 12 amendments were offered. of which only 10 were approved immediately. or pretty well immeditely. by 1791. Included in those are 10 amendments we often called the Bill of Rights. The first one. a lot of us talk about. our ability to have religious freedom. In the South. where I am from. that is something that we treasure. Our freedom of speech is included in number one. And number two is the right to bear arms. Now. I know we dont live on the frontier anymore. but if you can imagine a farmer or someone moving his family into the yilderness in Tennessee. or as we moved westward. one of the things that you would find with them. pieces of equipment. more than just the farm equipment. was generally a rfiuzzleloader. that would hang on many cases on the beam that supported the loft in the cabin in which the family would live. It was there for protection. When he would go into the fields to farm. he would also take his muzzleloader with him. oftentimes leaning it upon a stump or a tree. where it would be for protection from wildlife or wild animals or from those who might be intending to do harm to his family or himself. The second amendment gives us that right to protect our homes and our family. whether it is in Pall Mall. Tennessee. where I am from. are whether it is right here in Washington. D.C. We cant suspend the Constitution depending on Where we live. We had a huge argument over what is called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. about whether or not our individual rights were about to be jeopardized. In fact. many of us argued on this floor that there are certain constitutional guarantees that guarantee our liberty and our freedom from oppression and from an oppressive and intrusive government. In fact. that is not just for Washington. D.C.. and it was just not for Pall Mall. Tennessee. It is for all of us wholive in this Nation. So. for me. we cannot cherry pick and pick and choose what that Constitution guarantees us. To me. I applaud the efforts of the gentleman from Mississippi to offer the substitute amendment that I believe will give individuals who live in Washington. D.C. the same opportunity to defend their sons and their daughters. their husband or their wife. and the home that they own from those who would do harm or be intrusive in their homes.
Date: 2008-09-16
Speaker: LINDA T. SANCHEZ (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Speaker. unfortunately. I was unable to be present in the Capitol on Monday. September 15. 2008. and was unable to cast votes on the House floor that evening. SSIONAL RECORD - Extensions o However. had I been present I would have voted yea on H. Res. 1200Honoring the dedication and outstanding work of military support groups across the country for their steadfast support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families. yea on H. Con. Res. 390Honoring the 28th Infantry Division for serving and protecting the United States. and yea on H.R. 6889To extend the authority of the Secretary of Education to ensure continued access to Federal student loans. for 1 year.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill to restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act of
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent for 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 3406 into the RECORD.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Mr. Speaker. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York . a member of the Judiciary Committee. which also had jiirisdiction over this legislation and was very helpful in its passage.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I will yield you 30 seconds. If I might. I just want to recognize the tenacity of Mr. SENSENBRENNER in pushing for this legislation. and I wanted to do it while he was in the well and also to recognize the contribution of your wife. Cheryl. who has talked to all of us about this and has been so determined that this bill pass in this Congress. I think without that energy. Im not sure we woukl have gotten here today. But certainly what you and Mr. HOYER have done in the House has been absolutely outstanding. and I want you to know how much I appreciate Cheryls involvement. also.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Yes. I would. As chairman of the Education and Labor Committee. I agree that both H.R. 3195 and S. 3406 reject the holding that academic success is inconsistent with the finding that an individual is substantially limited in such major life activities. As such. we reject the findings in Price v. National Board of Medical Examiners. Gonzalez v. National Board of Medical Examiners. and Wong v. Regents of University of California.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Yes. I would. As we stated in the committee report on H.R. 3195. the committee supports the finding in Bartlett. Our report explains that "an individual with an impairment that substantially limits a major life activity should not be penalized when seeking protection under the ADA simply because he or she managed their own adaptive strategies or received informal or undocumented accommodations that have the effect of lessening the deleterious impacts of their disability."
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I yield myself 30 seconds to say I think the House addressed many of the concerns. Mr. SHMixus. yesterday in the legislation. the comprehensive energy legislation that we passed that deals with the issues of lowering costs to consumers and taxpayers and increasing the energy resources of the United States. I would also say if we dont pass this piece of legislation. they wont have any jobs to drive to because they continue to get discriminated against. With that. I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey . a member of the committee.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

I fully understand the deep disappointment on behalf of the Republican Members. not all. but those who did not vote for the legislation last night to create a comprehensive energy policy for the future of this Nation. They were intent upon killing it. They fell short. They fell short because it was a bipartisan bill. A number of their Members crossed the aisle to vote for the legislation because they recognize this was about taking us to a new energy future. a future that no longer continued year after year after year. as we have under Republican control. increased dependence upon international oil from nations that are hostile to us in so many ways. of nations who inflate our economy in so many ways. This legislation will make available billions of barrels of oil that is from the Minerals Management leasing. the administration of oil on the Outer Continental Shelf. more billions of barrels of oil in Alaska. in the National Petroleum Reserve that holds probably more oil than the OCS. that can be opened under legislation. And the royalties that are due this Nation will be put into a trust fund to create the research and the development of renewable and alternative energy resources that are so important if in fact we are going to break our dependence on foreign oil and on fossil fuels as a bedrock of the energy policy of this Nation. It is also going to stop the royalty holidays that oil companies who are making the largest record earnings in history are doing. With that. I would like to return to the matter at hand and to thank the ranking member from across the aisle.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Madam Speaker. I rise in strong support of S. 3406. the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. This bipartisan legislation. which will restore. the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act. ADA. is long overdue. The passage of the ADA in 1990 helped millions of Americans with disabilities succeed in life and the workplace by making essential services that most Americans take for granted more accessible to individuals with disabilities. It was truly a landmark civil rights law to ensure that people with disabilities have protection from discrimination in the same manner as individuals are protected from discrimination on the basis of race. gender. national origin. religion. or age. In recent years. the Federal courts have erroneously eroded the protections for individuals under the ADA. which has created a new set of barriers for those with disabilities. This bill rejects the courts narrow interpretation of the definition of disability. and makes it absolutely clear that the ADA is intended to provide broad coverage to protect anyone who faces discrimination on the basis of disability. It strikes a careful balance between the needs of individuals with disabilities and realities confronted by employers. Madam Speaker. the Congress is taking an important step towards restoring the original intent of the ADA. By doing so. we will help ensure that Americans with disabilities can lead independent and selfsufficient lives. I urge my colleagues to support this muchneeded legislation.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution recognizing North Platte. Nebraska. as "Rail Town USA".
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include additional materials on House Concurrent Resolution 408.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Mr. Speaker. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. we are seeing a rebirth of the passenger and freight rail industry in this country. and it couldnt* come soon enough. This week. Congress is working on legislation that will help provide solutions to the energy crisis this Nation is facing. One sure way to do this is to increase the use of passenger and freight rail. The only current mode of transportation that is greener than rail is your sneakers. Freight rail has made major gains in fuel efficiency through training and improved locomotive technology. A single intermodal train can take up to 280 trucks off of the highways. Today. one gallon of diesel fuel can move a ton of freight an average of 414 miles. a 76 percent improvement since 1980. Passenger rail ability to reduce congestion is well known. with ridership numbers increasing steadily each year. One full passenger train can take up to 250350 cars off of the road. Passenger rail also consumes less energy than both automobiles and commercial airlines. Every industrialized country in the world is already using highspeed rail to effectively move citizens in an environmentally friendly way. Sadly. the United States used to be the leader in rail. now were the caboose. and they dont even use cabooses anymore. Fortunately. we will be changing that with the upcoming passage of the Amtrak Reauthorization bill. Today. we celebrate the contributions of our Nations rail once again by recognizing North Platte. Nebraska. as "Rail Town. USA." North Platte has a long and storied history as a railroad town. During World War II. North Platte hosted up to 20 trains full of soldiers each day. and today is home to the Bailey Yard. which is considered the largest rail classification yard in the world. handling 10.000 railroad cars each day. From 19411946. more than six million service men and women were greeted by North Platte volunteers who provided food. needed supplies and hospitality to the World War II veterans and provided care baskets to wounded soldiers returning home. I want to commend Congressman SMITH for this legislation and thank the town of North Platte. Nebraska. for the contributions to our brave soldiers during World War H. I urge Members to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Once again I want to add that for better than 4 years. day in and day out. over 50.000 people contributed food. money and efforts to one of the proudest moments in our history during World War II. Day in and day out. from early in the morning until the last train would leave at night. between 2.000 and 5.000 soldiers and sailors would be fed nearly 200 loaves of bread. 100 pounds of meat. 50 pounds of coffee and over 100 quarts of milk. More than 300 organizations made sandwiches. boiled eggs. fried chicken and baked cakes and pies. The war wounded were provided with razors. canes. toothbrushes and care baskets to make their return home a welcome one. One of the most famous residents of North Platte was Colonel William F. Cody. best known as Buffalo Bill. Buffalo Bill made North Platte his home for more than 30 years. Today North Platte is the home of Bailey Yard and operated by Union Pacific Railroad. It is considered the largest rail classification yard in the world. Every 24 hours. Bailey Yard handles over 10.000 railroad cars. Bailey Yard handles daily an average of 135 trains bound for cities as far distant as the east. west and gulf coasts of America. as well .as the Canadian and Mexican borders. I really want to be one of the ones to offer congratulations and our thanks as a grateful people to North Platte. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

Madam Speaker. I dont want the people at home to get confused. Today we are honoring . the people of North Platte. USA. for their major contribution as far as rail is concerned. But I think that there is no stronger bill more that we can do in this Congress than to pass the Amtrak bill. I want to be clear. I mention that Congress is working on legislation that would provide solutions to the energy crisis. And the solution. in my opinion. is not just drilling. That is one of the comprehensive proposals. But the major solution to our problem in this country as far as energyis concerned is not just to provide drilling off the Florida coast. It is also to. -provide rail service. We. in this country. as I say over and over and over again. are the caboose. The caboose. And we dont use cabooses in trains anymore. I went from downtown Paris to downtown Brussels. over 200 miles. 1 hour and 15 minutes. downtown Barcelona to downtown Madrid. 300 miles. in 21/2 hours. That is the future of our country. We have to move people. goods and services. if we are going to be competitive with the rest of the world. Our competition is moving. We need to move America and to understand the solution to the problem is not by drilling and drilling alone. I reserve the balance of my time.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: CORRINE BROWN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Florida

In closing. once again. lets thank the people of North Platte for what they have done during World War II. Also. as we move forward in discussing energy. we need comprehensive energy. One thing that was missing- was coal. We have enough coal in this country for 600 years. I know that burning coal sometimes pollutes the air. but any country that can go to the moon. we can come up with a way to burn coal and not be dependent. So we need a comprehensive approach to energy. The answer is not just drilling. We need comprehensive approaches to dealing with our moving people. goods and services so we can be competitive with our competition.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. and for other purposes.
Date: 2008-09-17
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R.