macleginn/stanford_congress_record_longer_speeches huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. the good news is the June jobs report has been described by some as a "blockbuster" and a "great success." but it could have been better. In the June report. the economy added over 288.000 private sector jobs. That is five straight months in which 200.000 private sector jobs were added. This is the best performance since the boom years in the late 1990s. The good news is that unemployment is down to prerecession levels. but the bad news is that it could have been better. Extending emergency unemployment benefits would have added another 200.000 jobs. according to the Congressional Budget Office. This. combined with the government shutdown. fights over the debt ceiling. governing by crisis. all prevented job growth from being even stronger. Our economy has proved to be incredibly resilient. Imagine what we could do if 6 months from now we extended unemployment benefits. reauthorized the highway trust fund. which preserves another 700.000 jobs. and reauthorized the ExportImport Bank. All of this would create jobs. Lets work together to create these jobs and pass these important programs.
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker and Members. I rise in support of comprehensive immigration reform and to address the growing number of unaccompanied children arriving from Central America. It has been over a year since the Senate passed bipartisan reform legislation to strengthen the border and provide a pathway to normalization and earned citizenship for those already here. The Senate passed the bill with 68 votes. Mr. Speaker. the Senate oftentimes cant get 60 votes to turn on the lights over there. So this legislation has broad support. and I urge its immediate consideration. Last week. I visited our immigration intake facilities in McAllen. Texas. on our southern border. I saw hundreds of recently arrived unaccompanied children. many traumatized by the violence in their home countries and the long. dangerous journey to our country. Americans are a compassionate people and. as Americans. we know that these children we are talking about need to be treated as children. The President has asked for emergency funds to further secure our border and give the Border Patrol the resources they need to make sure these children are treated with care and dignity while they are in our custody. If this Chamber is serious about border security. it would immediately consider the Presidents request and give our folks on the border what they need to do their job.
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member for working with me on this issue. Mr. Chairman. in January. the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. known as FERC. approved a proposal by the New York Independent System Operator to create a new capacity zone in the Hudson Valley. The committee report accompanying the fiscal year 2015 Energy and Water Appropriations bill acknowledges that zones like this one may result in increases in consumer energy costs. In the case of the Hudson Valley. this new zone would impose an unprecedented $230 million increase in energy costs for our region in just the first year and nearly $500 million in increased costs over a 3year period. Initial estimates suggest that customers throughout the Hudson Valley could see their utility bills go up by 3 to 10 percent. Not only did FERC approve this new zone. but they have completely disregarded ratepayers and local officials in this decision. They have consistently ignored local stakeholders warnings that this zone will arbitrarily hurt families and businesses. Moreover. they have failed to demonstrate that the zone would even achieve the result that they are seeking. FERC has also failed to take into account a wide range of ongoing investments that will facilitate the movement of energy in New York State and which may reduce or eliminate the need for such highcapacity payments. Would the chairman and the ranking member agree that it is the intent of the report language to ensure that FERC reexamines and reforms the way they conduct this type of decisionmaking. so that the proceedings ensure the Commissioners hear and consider the concerns of local ratepayers?
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member. Would you also be committed to continuing to work with me during fiscal year 2015 to ensure that FERC makes reforms to ensure that the views of residents. local and State officials. regulators. and business leaders are taken into account when FERC makes these major decisions?
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

I thank my colleague on the Energy and Commerce Committee and my good Texas friend. Madam Chair. I rise in support of the amendment and will place my full statement into the RECORD. The amendment I am offering with my friend Congressman JOE BARTON would authorize the Energy Department to start a pilot nuclear waste program. Congress. back in 1982. passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. directing DOE and NRC to open a permanent repository for our Nations spent nuclear fuel. Over three decades later. America is still without a repository. leaving tens of thousands of nuclear waste vulnerable to attacks of terror and other catastrophes. The reasons behind this failure are wellknown. and it is imperative that this Congress and the administration act to open a safe and permanent storage facility. Until that day. we must find interim storage to ensure that the 70.000 tons of spent fuel sitting in our Nations nuclear plants are safe from harms way. The pilot program authorized in this amendment would be paid for by funds already available in the nuclear waste fund and would direct DOE to open a pilot facility only after it was found to be safe by NRC. has gained the consent of the States Governor. each unit of local government within the jurisdiction and affected Indian tribes. and heard from the general public. Given the nearly $30 billion available in the nuclear waste fund. the growing inventory of spent nuclear fuel. and the inherent hazards connected with nuclear waste. I urge my colleagues to join with Congressman BARTON and me to authorize this program. Madam Chairman. I am also in agreement. I agree with withdrawing the amendment. but somewhere. this Congress needs to address our nuclear waste disposal and storage issue. I thank my colleague for the time.
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: GEORGE MILLER (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: California

Madam Chair. I thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for reserving this time in opposition. I think the gentleman from California has made the point very clearly. this amendment is seeking to play by a set of rules that is different than any other contractor in the State. and also makes a point very clearly that there is no intent here by any of the parties to curtail these contracts in any immediate time or suggest that they be abandoned or they be found invalid. not at all. It is just a question of whether or not the basis on which they were determined to go forward. that biological opinion. has turned out not to be valid. So they are simply asking for a rereview of these contracts. What this amendment would say is that this group of contractors gets to play by a different set of rules than everybody else in the State. As we all know. those of us who are from California and many of our colleagues in Congress have learned over the years this is a very. very integrated system. It is a very complex system. and it has multiple claims on the water in the State. from farming. from technology. from communities. from manufacturing. from the chemistry. and from the environment. from recreational fishers. from commercial fishers. from an industry that is hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of employees. The question is are these contracts valid in light of the biological opinions. To say that they have been assumed in the biological opinions doesnt say that they have been reviewed. So this is just a question on this amendment to this legislation as to whether these people can take themselves outside of the judicial review. take themselves outside of the environmental considerations. take themselves outside of the economic considerations that no other water district. no other contractor gets to do. Certainly at a time when people are under such stress about the availability of water. it starts to look like a very special privilege to be able to be plucked out when everybody else is undergoing this kind of scrutiny. trying to figure out how we can make the most flexible system. a system that can respond to this very diverse California economy and to the needs of domestic households in a very serious drought and a drought that may continue in the years to come. Again. nobody has suggested that we abrogate these contracts simply to proceed under regular order.
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Chair. I thank the chairman for his assistance with the colloquy earlier. I respect his remarks. Let me just point out that this amendment relates to a specific FERC docket. So by definition. it can affect nothing other than this specific decision that I have referred to. I yield for such time as he may wish to consume to the gentleman from New York. CHRIS GIBSON. my colleague from across the aisle who also represents the Hudson Valley.
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR . The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. SEAN PATRICK
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. on Thursday. July 10. I was unavoidably detained in my State on official business until 8:00 p.m. tonight. and I would like to indicate how I would have voted had I been present. Wilson (SC) Wittman Wolf Womack Woodall Yoder Yoho Young (AK) Young (IN) Negrete McLeod ORourke Pallone Pascrell Pastor (AZ) Payne Pelosi Perlmutter Peters (MI) Petri Pingree (ME) Pocan Polls Price (NC) Quigley RoybalAllard Ruppersberger Ryan (OH) Sanchez. Linda T. Sanchez. Loretta Sarbanes Schakowsky Schiff Schwartz Scott (VA) Scott. David Sensenbrenner Serrano SheaPorter Sherman Sinema Sires Slaughter Smith (WA) Speier Stockman Swalwell (CA) Takano Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Tierney Titus Tonko Tsongas Van Hollen Vargas Veasey Velazquez Walz Wasserman Schultz Waters Waxman Welch Wenstrup Yarmuth Pompeo Rangel Richmond On rollcall vote No. 379. under the bill H.R. 4923. Energy and Water Appropriations Act. I would have voted "no." On rollcall vote No. 380. I would have voted "yes." On rollcall vote No. 381. I would have voted "no." On rollcall vote No. 382. I would have voted "yes." On rollcall vote No. 383. I would have voted "yes." On rollcall vote No. 384. I would have voted "yes." On rollcall vote No. 385. I would have voted "no." On rollcall vote No. 386. I would have voted "yes." On rollcall vote No. 387. I would have voted "yes." On rollcall vote No. 388. I would have voted "no." On rollcall vote No. 389. I would have voted "no." On rollcall vote No. 390. 1 would have voted "no." On rollcall vote No. 391. I would have voted "no." On rollcall vote No. 392. I would have voted "no."
Date: 2014-07-10
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. it is our job to work on behalf of the American people. and in H.R. 4923. I am very pleased to note that two Jackson Lee amendments passed that I think will expand the opportunities for small businesses and promote the environment. One amendment. of course. increased funding for the Office of Minority Economic Impact to be able to reach out to small businesses. MWBEs. in order to create jobs. a challenge that the American people asked us to meet. My second amendment that was accepted in a bipartisan manner reprograms funds for the Department of Energys departmental administration to increase support for environmental justice. That is very important to very many sites in the 18th Congressional District. from northeast to southeast. As you well know. Mr. Speaker. I also was able to get an amendment in the bill dealing with the Department of the Interior and set up an office on minority business and contracting and outreach for jobs. We must create more jobs. We must help create more jobs. and leading out by this Nation to create more jobs is very important. I am also pleased that the dredging funding that the Houston Port needed was put in this bill. joined by my colleagues from the Houston delegation. Now the Houston Port will be able to continue to serve as one of the largest ports in the world. With that. Mr. Speaker. I am delighted that this legislation had these elements in it. I look forward to the bill going to the Senate so that we can come back and vote for this bill.
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I have in my hand a copy of the Budget Act of 1974. If you look at section 311. it is entitled. "Enforcement of Budget Aggregates." The bill before us. Mr. Speaker. violates that section of the Budget Act because it cuts the revenues below the levels that were set forth in the Republican budget that was passed on this House floor with much fanfare on May 15. The bill before us does not keep the revenues at those levels. I would like. Mr. Speaker. for the purpose of this point of order. to point out that on May 15 of this year Chairman RYAN. chairman of the Budget Committee. filed a statement in the current revenue level for fiscal year 2015 and the remainder of the budget window. And this is what he said when he filed that. This is. Mr. Speaker. in the RECORD of May 15. page H4428. This is what Mr. RYAN said: "This comparison is needed to implement section 311(a) of the Budget Act. which creates a point of order against measures that would breach the budget resolutions aggregate levels." This piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker. as you can see. clearly violates that provision of the statute of section 311(a) of the Budget Act because it increases the deficit to the taxpayer by $287 billion above what was cited in the budget resolution adopted by this House. It is a clear breach of the rule. So. Mr. Speaker. I ask that the point of order be sustained and that the House Republicans have to live up to their own budget resolution which. as I say. they passed with much fanfare not that long ago.
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. further on the point of order. the gentleman from Michigan clearly wasnt addressing any of the issues raised in the point of order. I would ask the gentleman about section 311(a) of the Budget Act. which is what this point of order is based on. Lets talk about the point of order. The chairman of the Ways and Means Committee voted for the House Budget Act. He voted for it. and now he is bringing to the floor of the House a provision that violates the same Budget Act that that budget was passed pursuant to. So. Mr. Speaker. lets continue to focus on this point of order because what we have here is a situation where Republicans came to this House floor not long ago. passed that budget. and are now here on the floor today with another bill that violates the Budget Acts section 311(a). So I would like a ruling on the point of order.
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Is the point of order as a result of the fact that the Republicans apparently passed a rule that waives section 311(a) of the Budget Act?
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Did the Republican rulethe rule that was brought to the floor of the Houseinclude a provision that waived section 311(a) of the Budget Act?
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

I am looking at that. and it does indicate to me that the House Republican rule actually waived the statutory provision that requires that the bill that they brought to the floor comply with their own budget.
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: VAN HOLLEN (democrat)
Chamber: H

raises such an important point. What is being done here is totally inconsistent. and I will come to that a bit later. but what is really important today about this bill is not what is being done here. but what is not being done here.
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: DANNY K. DAVIS (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Illinois

Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the ranking member for yielding. The longer I listen to this discussion and debate. it reminds me of a game that children play: around and around and around we go. around the mulberry bush. because we keep going around and around and around. I strongly oppose the bill that is before us that would make bonus depreciation permanent. Yes. I support bonus depreciation on a shortterm basis to boost the economy if there is a letdown and to provide some incentives to do things that we might not be doing. But I cannot support adding $287 billion to our deficit for a permanent corporate giveaway while tens of thousands of my constituents and tens of millions of Americans experience deep poverty. unemployment. and economic distress. H.R. 4718 is a corporate giveaway that even the Republican tax reform bill repealed. There is a tremendous need to incentivize economically distressed communities like many parts of Chicago. other urban as well as rural areas. and those incentives have lapsed. They are threatened. We are not sure that they are going to be coming. This bill continues the Republican legislative focus on the wrong issues. ignoring the key programs that create jobs. strengthen our citizens. and grow our economy. Just imagine what unemployment insurance does. It allows the person who does not have a jobthe knowledge that something is going to be comingto go to the grocery store and buy milk or bread. Or what happens when there is employment opportunities. if roads and bridges are being repaired? A person gets a sense of confidence that there might be work for them to do. I remember a song several years ago about "Get a Job". and the guy said that every day. when he reads the paper. he reads it through and through. trying to find out if there is any work for me to do. but his wife says. "Get a job." Individuals who have become totally upset because. no matter what they seem to do. there is no relief. So how could I vote for this bill when there are still 3.3 million longterm unemployed individuals who have not been aided? I cant go to church on Sunday or walk down the street without somebody asking me: When is Congress going to do something about our unemployment checks? Are they going to come? Or they ask: When are the repairs going to be made on our roads and bridges? When are we going to get some new sidewalks? How do you fix the potholes that are erupting all over our community? When are we going to really take care of the Medicare physician or doctors fix? When are we going to stop irrational budget cuts that strangle education. research. and innovation? When are we going to provide confidence and hope? When are we going to stop the process where the rich continue to get rich and the poor continue to get poor. and the middle class gets squeezed in to where we almost create two groups and two categories of people: those who have much and those who have little? So I would urge that we vote "no" on this bill and give confidence to the American people that their needs will be taken care of.
Date: 2014-07-11
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. it was 3 months ago that the terrorist group Boko Haram attacked and kidnapped 276 female students. They were children. some 12 and 13 years old. Since then. more have been kidnapped. and some have escaped. This Congress has a positive role to play by supporting U.S. and U.N. efforts to bring these girls home and to bring peace to Nigeria and Africa by supporting investments. by bringing development to Africa. and by encouraging all involved to do all they can to bring these frightened children home. The African leaders have a role to play. They should be leading this effort in helping to rescue these children. I will never forget how the world came together for one brief moment in the wake of 9111 to support America. "We are all Americans." the world said as one. I would wish now that the world would say that. until we bring these young girls home. we are all African.
Date: 2014-07-14
Speaker: EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of H.R. 5031 and the three other science. Space. and Technology bills being considered today. Earlier this year. all of my Democratic committee colleagues joined me in introducing H.R. 4159. the America Competes Reauthorization Act of 2014. Three of the bills considered today are similar or identical to the provisions we included in our Competes bill. and the fourth bill similarly reflects a longstanding bipartisan effort. I will speak briefly about each of the four bills. First. I want to thank Chairman SMITH and my Democratic colleagues.
Date: 2014-07-14
Speaker: CAROLYN B. MALONEY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: New York

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on the Oversight Committee. I thank him and Chairman ISSA for moving this legislation through the committee. It would rename a United States Postal Service facility located in my district at 450 Lexington Avenue after Vincent R. Sombrotto. who is one of the most significant labor leaders of his generation. Like many of his Postal Service colleagues. Vincent Sombrotto traded his military uniform for a letter carriers uniform. and he wore both with great distinction. As a letter carrier at New York Citys Grand Central Station in the district I represent. Mr. Sombrotto led the 1970 wildcat postal strike that led Congress to reorganize the modern United States Postal Service. Later elected as president of the National Association of Letter Carriers. their 16th president. serving from 1978 to 2002. Mr. Sombrotto worked to increase letter carrier wages. moving them from poverty level into middle class levels. In 1992. he began the National Association of Letter Carriers food drive. which has developed into the countrys biggest 1day food drive in the entire country. Since it started. the drive has provided more than 1.2 billion pounds of food for food banks in communities throughout the United States. As a firm believer in civic responsibility. Mr. Sombrotto worked with the United States Postal Service and emergency services organizations to establish Carrier Alert. Carrier Alert is a nationwide program allowing postal carriers to perform humanitarian deeds on their routes. including saving lives. finding missing children and pets. and looking after the elderly. I urge my colleagues to honor Mr. Sombrotto. who worked to improve the lives of letter carriers. their families. and their communities by supporting H.R. 2291.